Russia’s Rosatom in talks with Saudi Arabia on small-capacity reactors: CEO

Russia’s state-run Rosatom is currently holding negotiations with Saudi Arabia on the construction of nuclear power plants (NPP) with high-capacity reactors, as well as the implementation of projects with small-capacity reactors, CEO Alexey Likachev said on Monday.

The company is also discussing non-energy nuclear technologies with Saudi Arabia, he was quoted as saying at the 11th annual forum Atomexpo 2019.

“First, we take part in procedures of the tender announced by the government for construction of high-capacity reactors,” Likhachev said, commenting on Rosatom’s interest in such projects in the Kingdom.

“We are also holding talks on potential cooperation in respect of small-capacity reactors and non-energy nuclear technologies.”

Heads of leading companies in the industry and government officials gather every year in the Russian city of Sochi at the Atomexpo, which is organized by Rosatom.

Earlier this month, Rosatom’s Director-General for Middle East and North Africa, Aleksander Voronkov, told Argaam that the state-owned corporation is in a "strong position" in its competitive dialogue process with Saudi Arabia for the Kingdom’s nuclear project.

Read here: Rosatom in talks with Saudi Arabia on nuclear project

Saudi Arabia is also currently reviewing bids from American, Chinese, French and South Korean companies for its nuclear power project.

Both Saudi Arabia and Russia have been strengthening their nuclear and energy partnerships over the past few years. In 2015, the Kingdom signed an intergovernmental agreement with Russia on nuclear cooperation, followed by the Cooperation on Peaceful Use of Atomic Energy Program in October 2017.

Write to Reem Abdellatif at reem.a@argaam.com