South Korea Fails To Win Deal For Nuclear Reactor Export To Jordan

SEOUL, May 11 (Bernama) -- South Korea has failed to win a deal to export a commercial nuclear reactor to Jordan due to differences over financing and other terms, industry and government sources said Tuesday.

According to the sources from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and the energy industry, the Jordan government has selected a consortium between France's Areva SA and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. as its preferred negotiation partner for the construction of a commercial nuclear reactor.

"Jordan recently chose the France-Japan consortium as a preferred partner for the construction deal," a source said on condition of anonymity, adding that South Korea was side-stepped due to differences with the Jordanian government over financing and construction methods.

The failure came after a South Korean consortium won a deal in January to build a nuclear research reactor for Jordan, raising hopes it would pave the way for exporting commercial nuclear reactors to the Middle Eastern nation down the road.

South Korea became an exporter of nuclear technology late last year when it secured a multi-billion-dollar deal to construct four nuclear reactors in the United Arab Emirates.

The Seoul government is currently in talks with Turkey on a similar deal to export Korea-designed nuclear power plants.

-- BERNAMA

Source: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsworld.php?id=497194

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