Green and clean renewable energy is the only way for the world's energy development. Clean energy generation, such as solar and wind, dominates Saudi Arabia's net-zero emissions plan by 2060, while the country is also slowly starting its nuclear energy program.

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Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude oil exporter, plans to add about 17 GWe of nuclear power capacity by 2040 and plans to put two reactors with a total capacity of 3.2 GWe into operation over the next 10 years.

Saudi Arabia's plans, while nascent, have received a boost, with the kingdom saying in its budget released in February 2023 that it had developed two 1.4GWe class reactors as part of the first phase of its atomic energy program. Consulting and accounting firm EY has been hired to advise on the deal for the project, which has accepted bids, the budget shows. The Saudi Energy Ministry did not comment on the status of the project.

While the Saudi government manages a complex relationship with the oil world, the nuclear power plan has attracted significant interest from nuclear companies, financial firms and global policy makers.

Russian officials have said publicly that Rosatom submitted a bid to develop a reactor in Saudi Arabia, but the kingdom has yet to announce a preferred bidder for the first nuclear power project. Other suppliers, including Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Corp, are also reportedly in talks with Saudi Arabia.

Perfect fuel cycle

Saudi Arabia wants to exploit its own uranium deposits, so its nuclear strategy covers all aspects of the fuel cycle. In early 2023, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz told a mining conference that Saudi Arabia does have large uranium resources and wants to exploit them in the most transparent way. He said Saudi Arabia would continue to develop yellowcake and commercialize the resource.

Saudi Arabia does not release official data on its uranium reserves. In 2018, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in an interview that Saudi Arabia has more than 5% of the world's uranium reserves.

In 2020, Saudi Arabia's presumed uranium reserves are estimated at 90,000 tonnes, equivalent to about 1.4% of current global uranium reserves. Inferred resources are assessed with low confidence based on limited geological evidence.

Nuclear energy cooperation agreement

Saudi Arabia wants to mine its own uranium to be processed into nuclear fuel, but attempts to enrich uranium could jeopardize nuclear power cooperation with the United States.

On July 6, 2023, Kate Durian, a visiting fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in the United States, said that one of the main problems is that Saudi Arabia wants to cooperate with the United States, but the United States is not ready to cooperate. Mining uranium takes time, so the project cycle will be long.

Saudi Arabia has been in talks with China to develop nuclear technology, and previously held talks with the United States under former President Donald Trump's administration to conclude a so-called 123 agreement that would have guaranteed the kingdom access to nuclear technology from the United States. The United States is reportedly trying to use the agreement as part of a nonproliferation measure to limit Saudi uranium enrichment, but some Saudi officials have said the kingdom wants to retain its own enrichment capacity.

Large-scale construction of nuclear power plants

Saudi Arabia will follow the example of its neighbouring oil producer, the United Arab Emirates, in pursuing a civilian nuclear programme. The UAE has chosen South Korea's APR1400 reactor technology, and the construction of the 5.38 GWe Barakah nuclear power plant is nearly complete. Durian said the Saudi government may follow the UAE model and choose to build large industrial-scale nuclear power plants rather than small reactors.

Saudi Arabia has a top-down system of government, where the government decides everything, so one of the advantages of building a nuclear power plant in Saudi Arabia is that there are no licensing issues and no community opposition. Editor/Xu Shengpeng