Jordan says able to export uranium by 2020

Jordan will be able to export uranium by 2020, chairman of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission Khaled Toukan said Tuesday.

Jordan is home to 65,000 tons of uranium, which is enough to cover Jordan's needs for energy for 90 years, Toukan said, according to the state-run Petra news agency.

Jordan will create the first unit for production of uranium in 2015, said Toukan.

Jordan is committed to go ahead with its plan to build a nuclear reactor by 2022 with a total power capacity of 2,000 megawatts, said Toukan, adding that the plants will provide electricity at cheap costs.

The nuclear program is crucial for Jordan, which imports about 97 per cent of its energy needs annually at about 20 per cent of the gross domestic product, said Toukan.