FACTBOX: Nuclear power plans across the Middle East

(Reuters) - Iran declared fresh progress in its nuclear program Thursday, inaugurating its first nuclear fuel production plant and announcing it had tested more advanced equipment for enriching uranium.

Below are the nuclear aspirations of countries across the Middle East.

ALGERIA: -- Algeria aims to build its first commercial nuclear power station by around 2020 and to build another every five years after that, energy minister Chakib Khelil said in February.

-- He said Algeria had atomic energy agreements with Argentina, China, France and the United States and was also in talks with Russia and South Africa.

-- The OPEC member has plentiful oil and gas reserves but wants to develop other energy sources to free up more hydrocarbons for export. Algeria has big uranium deposits and two nuclear research reactors but no uranium enrichment capacity. Algeria and China agreed a year ago to cooperate on developing civilian nuclear power.

* EGYPT: -- Egypt said in October 2007 it would build several civilian nuclear power stations to meet its growing energy needs.

-- In December 2008 Egypt chose Bechtel Power Corp as contractor to design and consult on the country's first nuclear power plant. Bechtel offered to do the work for around 1 billion Egyptian pounds ($180 million) over a 10-year period, it said.

-- Bechtel will consider five locations for the first nuclear plant, starting with Dabaa on the Mediterranean coast west of Alexandria.

* IRAN: -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated its first nuclear fuel production plant Thursday. He said the plant would produce fuel for Iran's Arak heavy water reactor.

-- Iran plans to start up its first atomic power plant in mid-2009, its foreign minister said in March. Tehran says the 915-megawatt Russian-built Bushehr plant will be used only for generating electricity in the world's fourth largest oil producer. But the West accuses Iran of covertly seeking to make nuclear weapons.

* JORDAN: -- Jordan had talks with French nuclear energy producer Areva in 2008 to construct a nuclear power reactor, Jordanian officials said.

-- They said Areva was a frontrunner among several international firms in talks with the kingdom to develop a nuclear reactor to meet rising demand for power.

-- Jordan has signed agreements with France, China and Canada to co-operate on the development of civilian nuclear power and the transfer of technology.

* KUWAIT: -- Kuwait is considering developing nuclear power to meet demand for electricity and water desalination, the country's ruler said in February 2009.

-- "A French firm is studying the issue," daily al-Watan quoted Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah as saying.

-- Nuclear power would save fuel that could be exported but which is currently used to generate electricity and operate water desalination plants, he said.