Saudi Arabia said to have sent RFI to nuclear reactor builders

Saudi Arabia has sent a request for information (RFI) to international vendors ahead of launching a tender to build its first nuclear reactors, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources close to the matter.

The firms have been granted almost two months to respond.

Another industry source added that Saudi authorities have asked nuclear suppliers to submit non-binding offers to build a nuclear reactor.

"We sent a communication to suppliers," a Saudi official said without giving more details.

On Monday, the Kingdom announced plans to extract uranium in the Kingdom, the first step to “self-sufficiency” in nuclear fuel production, Argaam reported.

Riyadh is planning to build nuclear power plants capable of producing some 17.6 gigawatts of energy by 2032, which is equivalent to 17 reactors.

The world’s top oil exporter says it wants to tap atomic power for peaceful purposes only in order to diversify its energy supply and will award a construction contract for its first two nuclear reactors by the end of 2018.