Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom is “ready” to take part in Saudi Arabia’s project to build 16 nuclear reactor units by 2030, Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov said on 30 August. Russia and Saudi Arabia signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in civilian nuclear energy in 2015. Saudi Arabia has plans to build 17GWe of nuclear capacity by 2040 and has also been in discussions or signed nuclear cooperation agreements with the US, the UK, France, China, Argentina and the Czech Republic. Ushakov was speaking ahead of a summit meeting in China during which Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to meet Saudi Arabian deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
China's leading state nuclear project developer China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC) recently met with Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih to discuss cooperation in the nuclear power sector. CNNC Chairman Sun Qin told Al-Falih that China is ready to cooperate with Saudi Arabia on nuclear power and agreement was reached to conduct research and develop nuclear technology, uranium mining and the construction of NPPs. CNNC signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy on human capacity building in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. China and Saudi Arabia signed an intergovernmental agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear energy in 2012.
