Kuwait to form nuclear energy commission

Kuwait to form nuclear energy commission
03 March 2009


Kuwait's cabinet has approved a draft project to set up a national nuclear energy commission, the third Middle Eastern country to take steps towards establishing its own nuclear power program in recent months.

In setting up its own nuclear energy commission Kuwait is echoing the UAE in showing further commitment towards its nuclear power plans. The UAE has published its own nuclear energy policy, with plans for three operational nuclear power plants by 2020. It has signed nuclear cooperation agreements with France, Japan, the UK and the USA, and is expected to sign a contract for its first plant later this year.

Meanwhile, Jordan has also been moving towards setting up its own nuclear program. It is expected to sign a cooperation agreement with Russia soon, and according to reports has already initialled a bilateral deal with Russia's Rosatom, while AECL of Canada is exploring the feasibility of deploying Candu reactors in Jordan. Jordan has nuclear cooperation agreements in place with Canada, South Korea, the USA and the UK, and recent exploration agreements with France's Areva and Rio Tinto could herald the mining of the country's known uranium resources.