Conclusion of 13th Amman Security Colloquium turns focus on nuclear energy

AMMAN — Participants in the 13th Amman Security Colloquium (ASC) highlighted the importance of coordinating efforts among Arab countries in the nuclear energy field. 

This could lead to increased cooperation in research projects, in addition to funded joint studies for profitable projects.  

During the event, which concluded on Friday, participants said that Arab countries' unity and direction towards nuclear energy investments does not mean that they seek to own nuclear weapons, according to a statement from the organisers.

Attendees also stressed the need to unify efforts among Arab countries at the cyber security level to guarantee the safety and security of databases, mainly those of nuclear reactors.  

During the session on nuclear energy, Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) Chairman Khaled Toukan said that the commission has realised several achievements with the smallest budgets possible, noting that nuclear projects need a long time and last for years.

Toukan noted that Jordan is the only Arab country in Mashriq, Levant and Iraq that has a nuclear reactor with a capacity of five megawatts, stressing that it is a research reactor that was built with Jordanian expertise in the field. 

He added that the JAEC has embarked on providing necessary items to the Kingdom's cancer hospitals for the past two years. The commission is planning to start producing Technetium for diagnosing heart diseases. 

Toukan said that nuclear programmes are based on three main pillars: The research reactor, nuclear substances, the reactor of generating electric power.

The chairman added that on early 2030, the focus will be on small nuclear reactors that are used to generate electricity, water desalination and for industrial purposes. 

He also highlighted the importance of delivering a political message that the Arab world is shifting to nuclear energy with a smart and civilised method rather than with a threatening approach.

Toukan said that the first country in the region that produces nuclear energy is Israel. This is considered as a “large catastrophe”, especially since Israel has began producing nuclear weapons.

Within eight years, the commission will start using small amounts of water to produce large amounts of energy by establishing a station 60 kilometres from Aqaba beaches. 

This would produce some 189 megawatts of energy, which will be transferred to Amman, the chairman added.