The Chemical and Physical Analysis Laboratory (CPAL) in Jordan may become a regional hub for nuclear science training after it received accreditation this week from International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation.

In a statement released by the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission, the new facility, which is still under construction with help from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Arab Atomic Energy Agency, will be a “training ground” for Arab students and researchers in nuclear engineering and physics.

Once the new facility is up and running, Jordan hopes it can provide consultation to other states in the region that are interested in starting their own nuclear energy programmes.

According to the local news agency Zawya, Jordan has already put together a nuclear engineering programme at the Jordan University of Science and Technology in Ramtha, where the first research nuclear reactor will be built in 2016. A centre of excellence is also planned at the University of Jordan to produce the trained workforce that will run Jordan’s many planned nuclear reactors.

Jordan started talks last week with several international partners and firms to select the technology it plans to use for its first planned nuclear reactors. “[Jordan] will select the technology for the nuclear reactor before the end of this year,” said Khaled Toukan, chairman of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission, reports Chinese media outlet Xinhua.

Jordan has plans to build several nuclear power reactors to produce electricity. Currently it depends on imported fossil fuels for nearly 96% of its energy.

Critics, however, have been wary of Jordan’s push into nuclear energy. The country is already the fourth poorest in water, and nuclear energy requires intensive water usage to call down the reactor. Additionally, nuclear reactors depend heavily on foreign expertise and technologies that are lacking in most Arab states.