Water-guzzling nuclear power is not viable for Jordan

Professor Steve Thomas, a nuclear policy expert from the University of Greenwich in London, also questions the argument that renewables aren’t a realistic option for Jordan.

“Although the government have been saying that they aren’t viable, what really isn’t viable is their nuclear plans,” he told DW.

Jordanians protest plans to go nuclear. DW 14 June 13, As Jordan works on plans to build its first nuclear plant, protestors are still criticizing the country’s decision to go nuclear in the first place. They say it wastes water and ignores the nation’s renewables potential.

Safa Al Jayoussi, an activist with Greenpeace in Jordan, becomes concerned when she starts to explain why Jordan won’t be able to cope with the country’s impending turn towards nuclear power. She says Jordan is one of the five driest countries in the world and that the new power plans are just going to put the nation under even more pressure.
“Nuclear power plants require large quantities of cooling water, usually from a large river or a large lake,” she told DW. “But, in Jordan, we don’t really have any sources of water.”
She’s also worried about a possible nuclear disaster, similar to what
happened at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in March 2011.
“It is proposed that grey water be used from a waste water plant for
cooling,” Al Jayoussi explains. “Any shortage in water from that
facility, which is likely to happen, will cause a huge problem very
much like what we saw in Fukushima.”…….
What about solar?
But Safa Al Jayoussi and Basel Burgan from the environmental group,
Jordanian Friends of the Environment, both disagree with Araj’s
appraisal of renewables. Jordan has 330 days of sunshine a year and
is, according to Burgan, the perfect candidate for solar.
“The European Union is hiring out land in North Africa for solar
projects,” he said. “So why are we turning to nuclear without
exploring the possibilities of using solar? For one, solar has become
cheaper.”
Professor Steve Thomas, a nuclear policy expert from the University of Greenwich in London, also questions the argument that renewables aren’t a realistic option for Jordan.
“Although the government have been saying that they aren’t viable, what really isn’t viable is their nuclear plans,” he told DW.
Thomas doubts whether Jordan will be able to get finance for the
nuclear project due to the country’s weak credit rating. And, he’s
concerned about whether there will be proper design and safety reviews
of the plants.
“They don’t have the slightest chance of achieving their 2020
deadline,” he said……
http://www.dw.de/jordanians-protest-plans-to-go-nuclear/a-16876432