JORDAN PRODUCES YELLOWCAKE AND SEEKS COOPERATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 002290 NOFORN SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ELA, ISN/NESS, ISN/RA E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/13/2014 TAGS: ENRG ECON EMIN TRGY KNNP PARM JO SUBJECT: JORDAN PRODUCES YELLOWCAKE AND SEEKS COOPERATION AGREEMENT AS NUCLEAR ENERGY PLANS PROGRESS REF: A. AMMAN 2233 ¶B. AMMAN 1690 ¶C. AMMAN 1570 ¶D. AMMAN 1489 ¶E. AMMAN 1480 ¶F. AMMAN 1394 ¶G. AMMAN 1356 ¶H. AMMAN 1319 ¶I. AMMAN 825 Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft for Reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Jordan's Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) is keen on reaching a nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States even as it continues to sign similar agreements with other countries, most recently Argentina on September ¶22. JAEC also has had discussions with regional actors Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia and claims that they share Jordan's view that the UAE model should not be applied to the other Arab states pursuing nuclear energy programs. Jordan also reaffirmed its support for strengthening the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if applied universally, and for a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East. The JAEC is moving forward with its energy program and expects to award a contract in the next few weeks for an energy consultant to conduct a technical study. In related developments, the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company has successfully produced yellowcake from phosphate, but does not view yellowcake production as economically feasible, will not trade it, but will sell it to JAEC (which views yellowcake production as commercially viable) at cost, plus. With the aim to move a nuclear cooperation agreement forward, JAEC and post would welcome the visit of a high-level delegation to Jordan. End summary. Keen on Reaching 1-2-3 Agreement -------------- ¶2. (C) The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) continues to proceed with its nuclear energy plans, having signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Argentina on September 22 during UN General Assembly meetings, and expecting to sign similar agreements with the Czech Republic and Spain in the near future. Khaled Toukan, JAEC Chairman, told EconOff on October 7 that Jordan was still keen on concluding an agreement with the U.S., while holding to his oft-repeated view that a nuclear cooperation agreement must preserve "Jordanian rights" to pursue uranium enrichment in the future (refs C, D, and G). Toukan asserted that Jordan was willing 
to fully cooperate with the U.S., IAEA, and others in ensuring transparency for its entire nuclear program, pointing to Jordan's NPT and IAEA additional protocol status. He stressed that Jordan ultimately wants U.S. companies such as G.E. and Westinghouse involved in the construction of Jordanian nuclear energy plants and said, "we are ready" to reach an agreement. Building Support Against the UAE Model -------------- ¶3. (C) Toukan expounded on his view, telling EconOff that the UAE model should not be the basis of a U.S.-Jordan agreement. He noted that the UAE, even after accepting the strict measures in its cooperation agreement, still faced opposition in Congress to its nuclear program. Toukan said that such opposition stemmed from some in the U.S. not wanting Arab countries to have their own nuclear energy resources at all. He further cited discussions he claims to have had with his counterparts in Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia and that none of those countries found the UAE model acceptable. Toukan said that he checked with the IAEA and that it supported JAEC's views on U.S. conditions on the 1-2-3 with Jordan. Despite sharing his hard-line views, he stressed his "keen" desire to come to an agreement with the U.S. ¶4. (C) The JAEC leadership, Toukan and Vice Chairman Kamal Araj, also provided a read-out on discussions they had in Vienna regarding strengthening the NPT, saying that Jordan supported the initiative, providing the caveat that it should be based on the universality of the NPT. Jordan also supports calls for nuclear disarmament, said Toukan, noting Jordan's support for a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone for the Middle East. Next Step: Technical Study Contract -------------- ¶5. (C) Jordan's next step for its nuclear energy program is to award a contract to an energy consultant to conduct a technical site study that would examine all technical and financial requirements for nuclear energy production in Jordan. The technical site study contract is the second contract related to advancing Jordan's nuclear energy project. The first contract for conducting a site selection and characterization study was awarded in late September to Belgium-based Tractebel and work is scheduled to begin by mid-October. Toukan told EconOff that three companies were short-listed for the technical study contract: (1) Tractebel of Belgium, (2) U.S.-based Parsons Brinckerhoff and (3) WorleyParsons of Australia. JAEC expects to announce the contract award within the next several weeks. The JAEC is also seeks to increase its cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and is looking to implement its cooperative agreements with DOE. JAEC will investigate possible cooperative programs with the Idaho National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and would welcome discussions with DOE counterparts in China during the upcoming Global Nuclear Energy Partnership Executive Committee meeting to be held in late October. Phosphate Mines Co. Produces Yellowcake -------------- ¶6. (C) In marking its signing of a $625 million contract with India's Indian Farmers Fertilizers Cooperative to build a new phosphoric acid plant near Ma'an, the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) produced an experimental sample of uranium yellowcake produced by its laboratories as a gift to King Abdullah. JPMC Chairman and CEO Walid Kurdi told EconOff that JPMC labs extracted the uranium from phosphate rock during its processing with sulfur to produce phosphoric acid. Kurdi said the sample produced was a "few grams" (demonstrating by balancing on a small spoon a few granules of sugar served with tea) that were inactive and not actually shown to the King for fear of radiation. Kurdi said that JPMC feasibility studies were "not complimentary" for extracting uranium from phosphate because of market prices. He insisted that JPMC was not interested in extracting uranium and producing yellowcake because it was not economically feasible for his company. He would rather invest the time, effort, and resources in addressing his company's logistics problems--getting phosphate products to the port in Aqaba (septel). ¶7. (C) Further, Kurdi asserted that JPMC will not deal with trading in yellowcake. JPMC will produce yellowcake at cost, plus, for JAEC. Kurdi said that, contrary to his view, JAEC believes yellowcake will be viable as a commercial product, meaning that significant quantities could be produced for Jordan's nuclear energy needs, while noting that a 1,000 MW reactor would require 100-120 tons of yellowcake for its operations. JAEC's Toukan told EconOff that he viewed yellowcake as a commercially viable option for JAEC to pursue given its future nuclear fuel needs, downplaying whether having JPMC produce it was economically feasible. Comment -------------- ¶8. (C) The JAEC continues to welcome the visit of a high-level U.S. delegation to pursue concluding a 1-2-3 agreement, and post would also welcome and encourage such a visit. If Jordan's assertion that Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia are converging around a common position rejecting the UAE model is accurate, then U.S. efforts at pursuing individual nuclear cooperation agreements that include many of the safeguards included in the UAE agreement could be negatively impacted. End comment. Visit Amman's Classified Website at: http://diplopedia.state.sgov.gov/index.php?ti tle=Embassy Amman Beecroft