Jordan, U.S. sign deal on building gas-cooled nuclear reactor

AMMAN, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Jordan and the United States on Saturday signed a deal on building a gas-cooled nuclear reactor with a total capacity of 76 megawatts.

The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission and the U.S.-based company X-energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding to conducts necessary studies for the building of the nuclear reactor, model X-100, the commission said in a statement.

Khaled Toukan, chairman of the commission, stressed on the importance of the nuclear reactor, as it can help in generating electricity, water desalination and other industrial applications.

"This type of reactor is part of Jordan's efforts to diversify energy resources and part of the country's program to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes," said Toukan.

Representatives of the U.S. company stressed on the importance of such small reactors and their role in helping Jordan in generating electricity.

Jordan is working on a program to build two nuclear reactors with each having a capacity of 1,000 megawatts. The reactor will be jointly built and financed by Russia. Enditem