AMMAN, August 27 (Petra) - His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday called for speeding up the Jordanian nuclear program, stressing that energy remains a top challenge that requires long-term radical solutions. Chairing a meeting of the High Commission on Nuclear Energy Strategy, the King underlined the need to secure and utilize alternative local energy resources, both traditional and renewable, in order to decrease the Kingdom's reliance on energy imports.

In January, the King highlighted Jordan's need to develop nuclear capabilities for peaceful purposes.

Commission vice president, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khalid Touqan, briefed the meeting on the progress of the nuclear energy program.

Touqan said the panel has assessed the nuclear power generation option against available natural resources in Jordan so as to ensure that such a process is economically feasible.

By the end of 2030, generated nuclear power is expected to provide 30 per cent of the overall generated energy in the Kingdom, Touqan told the meeting, attended by Prime Minister and Commission President Marouf Bakhit, Director of the King's Office Bassem Awadallah and senior officials. According to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the country is estimated to have tens of thousands of tonnes of uranium reserves. The strategic objective of the energy sector is to transform the Kingdom from an energy importer into an exporting country by 2030, according to Touqan. It is also envisaged that the Kingdom would be supplying its industry and services sectors with energy at reduced prices so as to support economic development, and shift dependence on fossil fuel to alternative energy sources.

Jordan currently imports nearly 95 per cent of its energy from neighboring Arab countries.

The national nuclear energy strategy involves five components, the first of which is energy generation designed to meet the growing demand for electric power and water desalination, Touqan told the meeting.

The second is the utilization of uranium, available in large quantities in the country, especially in the vast deposits of phosphates.

The third component covers the cycle of nuclear fuel and processing nuclear waste in accordance with international standards.

According to the minister, the fourth element of the strategy deals with the Kingdom's readiness to prepare the required studies and invest in qualifying Jordanian human resources in the field of nuclear energy. The fifth component tackles securing the needed funds for the project without straining the treasury with any extra financial burdens, according to the minister.

In April, the Lower House endorsed the nuclear energy draft law founding the commission, whose duties include handling technology transfer of peaceful nuclear energy use and starting investment projects in the field of electricity generation and water desalination, as well as in the agriculture sector and medical industry.

During his visit to the Kingdom in April, Mohammad Al Baradei, head of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), expressed support for the Kingdom's efforts to develop a peaceful nuclear program. King Abdullah, during talks with Baradei, said Jordan, an IAEA member and a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, will become a regional model for the peaceful use of nuclear energy in line with international rules.