IAEA assesses Jordanian plans for SMR deployment

Jordan is considering using a small modular reactor (SMR) to provide the electricity to operate a reverse osmosis desalination plant, as well as to pump an estimated 300 million cubic metres of drinking water each year from the Red Sea coast to the capital Amman, about 400 kilometres away and 700 metres above sea level.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert review mission, held at its Vienna headquarters in August 2023, comprised 18 IAEA and three external experts. It evaluated whether reports submitted by Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) include all the necessary information to support the decision-making for deploying an SMR for power generation and desalination. Areas covered by the review included nuclear power technology and safety, siting and licensing, nuclear desalination, nuclear law and stakeholder engagement, among others.

The mission found Jordan's reports provide a good basis for a feasibility study and also suggested areas where the work could be expanded or improved. These included conducting a study on the selection of the nuclear unit size while taking into account the need to strengthen electrical connections to the nodal points of the grid and to neighbouring countries; and exploring potential alternative fuel suppliers.

"This endeavour exemplified an agency-wide collaborative effort that addressed all aspects of the feasibility study, providing essential guidance on IAEA services that Jordan could benefit from in enhancing the assessment and progress of our SMR project," said Khalid Khasawneh, Commissioner for Nuclear Power Reactors at JAEC.

The IAEA said Jordan was one of a growing number of countries that have expressed interest in SMRs. To better assist countries, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi established the SMR Platform in 2021 to provide coordinated, agency-wide support on all aspects of SMR development, deployment and oversight.

The mission followed an IAEA workshop last year in Amman, which explored the technologies and requirements for nuclear desalination.

"Both this expert mission and the workshop are prime examples of the kind of support that the IAEA can provide to countries through the SMR Platform," said Dohee Hahn, Coordinator of the IAEA SMR Platform. "In particular, newcomer countries looking to add nuclear power to their energy mix stand to benefit from the full range of Agency services accessible through the SMR Platform."

"The IAEA support for Jordan's nuclear programme, particularly the SMR project, is highly valued and plays a pivotal role in enhancing our capabilities and advancing our endeavors," Khasawneh said. "We eagerly anticipate continued collaboration with the IAEA across all aspects of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy."

"In many ways, Jordan's interest helps to explain why small modular reactors and their applications are of such intense interest around the world right now," said Mikhail Chudakov, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy. "SMRs offer not only lower upfront costs, but greater flexibility for a variety of users and applications and are set to play an important role in helping to ensure energy security as well as supporting the clean energy transition."