Amman Security Colloquium
"On the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament in the Middle East"
Jordan Why Nuclear?
H.E. Dr.Khalid Toukan
The Chairman of
King Faisel Center for Research Islamic Studies
Speech in
Arab Institute for Security Studies
Amman - 22 June 2009

I am delighted to address such a distinguished gathering of scientists and policy experts in nuclear energy and non proliferation on such a timely topic.

The recent renaissance of nuclear power in the industrialized countries is not the only factor driving the interest of nuclear power in developing countries.

The necessity for nuclear power in developing countries, and in particular in the Middle East, is most often misunderstood by the industrialized countries, due to the abundance of oil and gas in the region . However, large disparities exist between countries of the region with per-capita consumption 0.1 toe/yr for Sudan to 34 toe/yr for Qatar. The greatest expansion of energy demand over the coming decades will be in the developing world. Global predictions of energy demand and supply are misleading for policy or planning needs. Regional and, even better, national detailed projections are more accurate. A point of illustration is the Middle East, where the conventional opinion is of a “rich” oil-producing region. On a country-by-country basis, it is clear that many countries in the region, are actually suffering under the toll of high oil prices. A case in point is Jordan, where more than 20% of the national budget is spent to import energy.

The uncertainty of energy supplies and their increasing costs are severely affecting the growth of Jordan's economy and its security. Jordan imports more than 95% of its energy needs. Hence, the development of secure alternative energy supplies is a top priority for the country.

Jordan has limited options to substitute for oil products. The chief option is imported natural gas, which can displace oil but is a short- to mid-term option and cannot be relied upon for the long term and should be used as a peaking source. Renewables will be developed to their fullest extent but have their well known limitations.

Our vision is to utilize nuclear energy to transform Jordan from a net energy importer to a net electricity exporter by 2030. By that date, according to the National Nuclear Strategy, 30% of Jordan's electricity needs will be met by nuclear power, with excess production to be made available for export.

Jordan has been seriously exploring nuclear power as a long-term alternative for electricity generation, water desalination, and as insurance for both energy security and future volatility of oil and natural gas prices. Nuclear energy is an important alternative to fossil fuels and is a particularly important component in a low-carbon energy strategy. In this regard, Jordan calls for the inclusion of nuclear energy in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of any future climate change negotiations.

Nuclear power also maximizes and leverages Jordan's indigenous uranium resources. The Kingdom is endowed with rich uranium resources which have not been fully explored, with estimated reasonably assured resources of about 70,000 metric tons of uranium oxide in Central Jordan with additional quantities that could be extracted as byproduct of phosphoric acid production.

There are, however, many challenges standing in the way of introducing nuclear power in Jordan such as the high investment cost, the need for skilled engineers and technicians, the limited suitable sites for power plants, the lack of adequate water sources for cooling and the volatile regional political climate.

Since 2001, Jordan has been developing a national strategy for civilian nuclear power. But only in January 2008, that Jordan’s parliament empowered the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) to lead the national effort and implement the Kingdom's nuclear strategy .

Furthermore and in compliance with the best of international practices, the parliament established an independent Jordan Nuclear Regulatory Commission (JNRC), to promulgate the needed legal, regulatory, and security framework for the introduction of nuclear power.

Jordan has concluded Nuclear Cooperation Agreements (NCAs) with France, China, South Korea, Canada, Russia and UK.

The Government of Jordan is seeking to overcome major obstacles in its efforts to adopt nuclear energy as a major source of energy in the future and to reduce its dependence on imported oil through leveraging its natural uranium and other nuclear material assets.

One of our major challenges, and in fact a common challenge to all, is development of the requisite human resources. To address partially this challenge, a nuclear engineering B.Sc. degree program was established in 2006 at Jordan University of Science and Technology and JAEC is in the process of procurement of a nuclear research reactor for education, training, and isotope production to be built on JUST campus.

Jordan has been conscious to meet all its legal obligations under the NPT and IAEA safeguards, and has participated in several global fora, such as the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), to develop its civilian nuclear energy programme. In return, it is imperative for the IAEA and technology holders to share their nuclear technology and expertise to address developing countries needs and challenges. It is time to move from unnecessary restriction of dissemination of nuclear technology, to sharing it in a responsible way in the spirit of “Atoms for Peace", with full adherence to safety, security and safeguards principles.

To sustain and enhance the contribution of nuclear power as an energy option in the Middle East, it is necessary for all countries in the region to accept the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) safeguards on all of their nuclear activities, leading to the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region, as a prelude for full adherence to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Nuclear weapons will not bring security and stability to the Middle East. Only a just, comprehensive and lasting peace and an end to Israeli occupation of Arab and Palestinian lands, are the safe guarantee for peace and security to all countries in the region.

Furthermore, as part of the NPT, there ought to be more serious progress towards nuclear disarmament. There is a need for better adherence to the decisions of the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference , and in particular the resolution on the Middle East as well as resolutions number 12 and 13 which require that all parties should submit regular reports when implementing Article six and paragraph 4(c) of the 1995 decision on non-proliferation and nuclear weapons disarmament. These resolutions were agreed upon by all governments that participated in NPT Review and Extension Conference of 2000.

However, there is a glimmer of hope, with Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev committing themselves to creating a world free of nuclear weapons. Everywhere in the world, there is now a realistic expectation that finally the NPT will be implemented in a holistic and nondiscriminatory manner and that the world will continue to focus on the ultimate goal of non-proliferation, which is nuclear disarmament. That, hopefully, will engender a new environment for the sustainable introduction of nuclear power, throughout the globe, while maintaining all member states full rights and privileges under the NPT.

To conclude, Jordan is serious about pursuing nuclear power generation as a vital option for its national security to provide affordable energy to all its citizens, to address growing national energy needs, water scarcity and the global challenge of climate change.

I wish you success in your deliberations.