Riyadh – Mubasher: Saudi Arabia is expected to launch a tender for its first nuclear reactors next month, according to Reuters, citing sources as saying.

The Kingdom will reach out to potential vendors from countries including South Korea, France and China, Reuters added.

The construction of two plants, with a total capacity of up to 2.8 gigawatts, is expected to start next year, sources said.

This will make it the second country in the Arab world to tap nuclear power as the UAE’s first plant is expected to come online next year after delays.

Saudi Arabia was expected to send a Request for Information (RFI) to suppliers in October, Reuters added, noting that it will likely provide more details at the general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna next week.

Potential bidders may include; South Korea, China, France, Russia and Japan.

The plants are part of plans to diversify the OPEC member’s energy supply as part of Vision 2030, launched last year by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In the longer-term, Saudi Arabia is considering building 17.6 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2032, which is the equivalent of about 17 standard nuclear reactors, according to Reuters.