Saudi Arabia to invite bids for nuclear power plant project in 2020

• 5 years ago (2019-04-05)
• David Flin

Middle East 310 Nuclear 640

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Saudi Arabia has announced that it plans to issue a multi-billion dollar tender in 2020 to construct its first two nuclear reactors, and that it is discussing the project with US and other potential suppliers. Saudi Arabia said that its plans are peaceful, but Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the country would develop nuclear weapons if it felt Iran was also doing so.

US, Russian, South Korean, Chinese, and French firms are currently in talks over supplying reactors.

Saudi officials previously said they aimed to select a vendor in late 2018, which then slipped to 2019. Sources say the tender will now be issued in 2020.

Saudi Arabia has yet to sign the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol on extra safeguards for verifying nuclear technology is used for peaceful applications, and is so far resisting signing these protocols, which would allow IAEA inspections to verify peaceful use of nuclear fuel.