Russia’s state nuclear energy producer Rosatom is in talks with “several” countries in the Middle East and North Africa to explore development of nuclear power, including nuclear research reactors. Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that Rosatom is ready to work with when the kingdom puts out tenders, including to provide the fuel or build the plants. Rosatom was selected to help provide the enriched uranium for the UAE’s first nuclear power plant and is building the first nuclear power plants in both Turkey and Egypt. Construction site preparation works have started and are planned to be completed by the second half of 2022, while building of a marine docking facility is expected to be completed by the spring this year.
The Akkuyu project in Turkey, which is also four 1,200 MW units, has received 70% of its required permits and licenses. It will supply 35 TWh of electricity annually for 60 years, or 10% of Turkey’s consumption, he said. The project has power purchase agreements averaging 12.35 cents/kWh for 70% of units 1 and 2 and 30% of units 3 and 4 for the first 15 years of operation. Rosatom, stylized as ROSATOM and known as the Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, or the Rosatom State Corporation, is a Russian state corporation headquartered in Moscow that specializes in nuclear energy, nuclear non-energy goods and high-tech products.