A report cited by the Bloomberg business news agency said that Saudi Arabia intended to award nuclear power plant related contracts by the end of this year. Preliminary selection of a prime contractor is expected by April, according the story's source.
Bids are expected from the United States, Russia, China, France and South Korea. The contracts will encompass engineering, procurement and construction on at least two nuclear reactors according to the report.
“By April we will sign a project development agreement with two to three selected vendors,” Bloomberg quoted business consultant for the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy Abdulmalik Al Sabery as saying.
“We are going to have only one winner that will be building the two reactors,” he said.
The kingdom has targeted a generation capacity of 17.6 gigwatts from nuclear power, which it expects to have on line by 2032.