Jordan Nuclear Power Plant Construction Project French-Japanese Alliance Aims to Win Order

Mafraq, Jordan: A Photo shows a part of the city of Mafraq, Jordan on August 16, 2011. The governate of Mafraq is expected to host the first Jordanian nuclear plant. Japan's House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee last Thursday began discussing the nuclear cooperation agreement (NCA) with Jordan. The agreement seeks to forge closer bilateral cooperation in mining and extracting uranium, designing, constructing and operating nuclear reactors, and protection of the planned nuclear installations. The agreement also paves the way for Japan to transfer nuclear and nuclear-related materials and technology to the Middle East. Japan's House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, approved the treaty on March 31, and the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives was to take a vote on it on April 13. the vote was postponed after the nuclear crisis in Japan. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and France's Areva SA have set up a joint venture in an attempt to win contracts to build nuclear plants in Jordan. Japan is the ninth nation to voice support for the Kingdom's nuclear power program after UK, France, Russia, Canada, China, South Korea, Spain and Argentina. (Photo by Salah Mohamad/AFLO) [3699]