EDF plans to participate in Saudi nuclear projects, says CEO

French state-controlled utility Electricité de France (EDF) CEO confirmed on Monday that it wants to participate in the development of nuclear power plants in Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported, citing CEO Jean-Bernard Levy.

“We will respond to this opportunity in all the energy technologies in which we have competencies, that is in solar, wind and nuclear,” Levy told the news agency.

Last month, the company held talks with Saudi Arabia about selling Areva-designed European Pressurized Reactors. It also wants to participate in a possible nuclear tender in the Kingdom, the news agency said, citing unnamed sources.

Saudi Arabia is considering building 17.6 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2032, the equivalent of about 17 reactors. It has sent a request for information to international suppliers to build two reactors.

Russian and South Korean companies have already signalled interest in participating in Saudi nuclear projects.

Russia’s state-owned nuclear company Rosatom in November said it hopes to win a tender announced by Saudi Arabia to build nuclear plants in the Kingdom.

South Korean firms are also planning to bid for Saudi Arabia’s nuclear plant project, Noh Baek-ail, executive vice president at Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co (KHNP), told Reuters last month.