Alexander Voronkov, CEO of the Russian nuclear energy company “Rosatom” in the Middle East and North Africa region, announced that the company has entered a competition to establish a nuclear power plant in Saudi Arabia, as part of Rosatom’s global expansion.
Voronkov said, in an interview with the Middle East News Agency, that “Rosatom” is participating in competitive deliberations to obtain the right to establish a nuclear power plant in Saudi Arabia. In the gulf region as well, the company has a cooperation with the UAE in the activities of the nuclear fuel cycle for its nuclear reactor.
He also indicated that El-Dabaa nuclear power plant project, which the company is implementing in Egypt, would constitute a major leap for the country in the field of power and electricity generation.
He also referred to the company’s ongoing work to establish a nuclear power plant in Turkey (Akkuyu).
Alexander Voronkov said that Rosatom is currently implementing new nuclear power plant projects in 12 countries, pointing out that the Russian nuclear industry has, over more than 75 years, built more than 100 nuclear reactors in 14 different countries, including Russia, and that there are 60 VVER reactors still in service, of which 38 power units in Russia, at 11 nuclear power plants.
Voronkov pointed out that the impact of the Corona pandemic on nuclear energy projects is very limited, given that this industry is very disciplined, and the company has taken all precautionary measures in all its projects.
Voronkov considered that the “Akademik Lomonosov” floating nuclear power plant project is a unique development in the field of peaceful nuclear power reactors, and it belongs to the category of technologically advanced and safe reactors.
The floating plant’s reactor is classified in the category of low-energy reactors, with a total of 70 MW for the two reactors, which is sufficient to provide electrical energy to a residential city with a population of about 100,000 people, and it is suitable for cities and isolated islands or cities with long coasts.
