Canada, Jordan sign nuclear co-operation deal

AMMAN (AFP) — Canada has signed a nuclear energy cooperation memorandum with Jordan, the official Petra news agency said on Saturday, as Amman struggles to find alternate power sources.

"Canada will help Jordan prepare economic feasibility studies to examine the possibility of introducing the CANDU energy reactor into Jordan," Khaled Tukan, head of the Jordanian atomic energy commission, was quoted as saying.

The CANDU nuclear reactor is a pressurised heavy water reactor that uses non-enriched uranium as fuel.

Tukan said Jordan was in talks with three international firms that produce uranium and hopes to produce nuclear power by 2016.

The kingdom, which imports 95 percent of its energy needs, will sign a full agreement on nuclear cooperation with Canada by the end of the year.

Parliament adopted a law in 2007 endorsing the use of nuclear ...