Saudi to prequalify bidders for first nuclear plant by May

Saudi Arabia expects to prequalify by May bidding firms for the first nuclear reactors it plans to build, Reuters reported, citing a consultant for the government agency that is working on the plans.

The request for information (RFI) is currently under process with discussions with bidding companies slated to start next month, Abdul Malik Al-Sabery, a consultant at King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, was quoted as saying.

A joint venture between the Saudi government and the winning developers would be signed in 2019, following the award of the contract by the end of 2018, Al-Sabery said.

Commissioning of the first plant, which will have two reactors with a total a capacity between 2 and 3.2 GW, is expected in 2027, he added.

At present, the Kingdom is evaluating companies from China, Russia, South Korea, France and the United States.

Saudi Arabia aims to build 17.6 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear capacity by 2032, the equivalent of around 16 reactors, in its effort to diversify energy resources.

In December 2017, the Saudi Geological Survey and China National Nuclear Corporation started a joint survey to explore and assess uranium and thorium resources in the Al Hail Province.