AMMAN, Jordan, May 5 (UPI) -- The country of Jordan is looking at the possibility of developing nuclear power as a means of generating electricity for civilian uses and water desalination.
In an interview with the Petra news agency Saturday, Jordan's Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Khaled Al Shreideh said the Middle East country's heavy reliance on imported power was costing 23 percent of its gross domestic product and that it made sense to develop existing uranium resources.
Jordan estimates it has at least 80,000 metric tons of uranium reserves that are considered easy to produce plus another 100,000 metric tons mixed in with its rich phosphate deposits.
Al Shreideh said Jordan had a long way to go before it would be ready to launch a nuclear program. In the meantime, he said the government is negotiating for new natural gas supplies from Egypt and would soon seek bids for oil exploration in its undeveloped Al Jafr area.
