Saudi Arabia plans to use domestic uranium for nuclear fuel

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia plans to use domestically-sourced uranium to build up its nuclear power industry, energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Wednesday.

He added that recent exploration had shown a diverse portfolio of uranium in the Gulf Arab state, the world’s top oil exporter.

Saudi Arabia has a nascent nuclear programme that it wants to expand to eventually include uranium enrichment. Riyadh has said it wants to use nuclear power to diversify its energy mix.

“The kingdom intends to utilise its national uranium resources, including in joint ventures with willing partners in accordance with international commitments and transparency standards,” Abdulaziz bin Salman said.

He told a mining industry conference in Riyadh that this would involve “the entire nuclear fuel cycle which involves the production of yellowcake, low enriched uranium and the manufacturing of nuclear fuel both for our national use and of course for export”.