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Saudi offtaker seeks nuclear deal advisers

19 June 2023

Riyadh-based Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) has invited firms to bid for the financial, legal and technical consultancy contracts to prepare and review project agreements related to the procurement of electricity from Saudi Arabia’s first nuclear power plant.

The scope extends to signing a power-purchase agreement (PPA) with the project company for the planned Duwaiheen nuclear power plant, provisionally called Duwaiheen Nuclear Energy Company.

MEED reported earlier in June that the kingdom’s nuclear authority may be considering extending the tender closing date for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the kingdom’s first nuclear power plant project.

The current bid deadline is the end of June.

According to industry sources, the most likely bidders for the main contract are China National Nuclear Corporation, Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) and Russia’s Rosatom.

Neither King Abdullah City for Atomic & Renewable Energy (KA-Care) nor the apparent bidders have confirmed the bid list.

2.8GW project

The kingdom’s first planned nuclear power plant is expected to be procured using a traditional design and build model. 

In September 2016, MEED reported that Saudi Arabia was carrying out technical and economic feasibility studies for the first reactors and was also looking at possible locations for the kingdom’s first nuclear project, a 2.8GW facility.

MEED reported the following year that KA-Care had received requests for information from the US firm Westinghouse, France’s EDF and Russia’s Rosatom.

It is understood South Korea’s Kepco and a Chinese nuclear power company had also responded to the request for qualifications for the main contract. 

Location

MEED reported in early 2018 that the kingdom was assessing two potential locations for the nuclear power plant. The two shortlisted are Umm Huwayd and Khor Duweihin. Both are on the coast near the UAE and Qatari borders.

The two sites were shortlisted following investigations conducted in 2011 and 2012, in accordance with sitting guidance issued by international regulatory agencies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

In July 2018, France’s Assystem was appointed to conduct a site characterisation study, environmental impact assessment and preliminary safety analysis report to assist with the selection of the preferred site for the kingdom’s first planned nuclear power project.

MEED understands a site at Khor Duweihin was subsequently chosen for the first project.

The same year, Australia’s WorleyParsons was appointed by KA-Care for the project management office consultancy role for the kingdom’s nuclear energy programme.

WorleyParsons is understood to have previously completed the Large Nuclear Power Plant (LNPP) site selection study for KA-Care.

Three-pronged strategy

Riyadh plans to develop nuclear power through a three-pronged strategy. The majority of the nuclear power capacity will be developed through conventional, large-scale nuclear facilities, such as the one being tendered.

The kingdom also plans to develop atomic energy through a series of smaller, system-integrated modular advanced reactor technology (Smart) nuclear power plants in partnership with South Korea.

The third pillar of Saudi Arabia’s nuclear energy programme will involve mining uranium resources to fuel the plants, as highlighted earlier this year by the energy minister.

Developing the kingdom’s mining sector is a key goal of Saudi Vision 2030, launched in April 2016.

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Jennifer Aguinaldo

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