Context and challenges

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has taken the decision to introduce atomic and renewable energy for a significant portion of the country’s future energy mix. The two sectors will provide substantial capacity, advanced technology, efficient use of resources and will be fully compliant with international best practices, conventions and treaties.

The process of selecting the plant technology/supplier and the construction site for a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the country has started. The NPP will consist of up to four NPP units ranging from 950Mwe to 1700Mwe including related nuclear waste management facilities and storages.

Assystem has been awarded by the government body in charge of nuclear program development, a contract to complete a comprehensive and detailed site characterisation and evaluation study of the two preselected sites for construction (and further operation) of the first NPP in compliance with IAEA’s guide (International Atomic Energy Agency), IAEA safety requirements and the kingdom’s regulations and laws.

Project scope

Comprehensive and detailed site evaluation covering the following services and studies:

  • Physical Surveys & Monitoring Programs: topography, mapping, archeology, geophysics, geology and drilling program, geotechnical, hydrogeological, hydrogeochemical, seismic hazards, bathymetry, oceanography, meteorology, ecology, radiological, air quality and noise level.
  • Analysis & Modelling: volcanology, demography, land water and marine use, socio-economics, dispersion and dose assessment, climate change and cooling water model and power grid integration study.
  • Safety & Security Assessment: human induced events, emergency preparedness and security.
  • Licensing documentation for the site including the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the Site Evaluation Report (SER).
  • Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) - generic part site chapter - for licensing the site and the Site Approval Document.

The scope of work includes all management, planning, design, data collection, execution of desk studies and field investigations, tests, measurements and monitoring, sampling, laboratory work, analysis, modelling, evaluation, procurement and supplies of equipment and systems, production of documentation, reporting and other actions for the objectives to assess and verify the suitability of the sites including exclusion of “Exclusionary Criteria” according to International and local regulations.

Client benefits

  • Assessment of the suitability of the site to host a nuclear installation according to predefined IAEA site exclusion criteria
  • Issue of the site licensing documentations: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Site Evaluation Report (SER) and site chapter of the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR)
  • Preparation of the site related information to Technology Vendors for the purposes of developing the Detailed Plant Design

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