Saudi Arabia has signed a cooperation agreement with Hungary on the peaceful use of atomic energy to address growing electricity needs in the kingdom
The agreement, which was previously signed with France, South Korea, China, Argentina, Russia and Finland, is part of the kingdom?s efforts to diversify its energy sources to achieve its Vision 2032. The vision aims to replace 50 per cent of dependence on traditional fossil fuel with atomic and renewable energy sources.
The atomic agreement was signed between Hashem Abdullah Yamani, president of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE), and Miklos Sesztak, Hungarian minister of national development.
Yamani said, ?The bilateral atomic agreement is aimed at the enhancement of cooperation between the two countries on the development and utilisation of atomic energy for peaceful purposes.?
The agreement follows a 2012 accord between the two countries on cooperation in various fields including cooperation in reactor design, construction and operation, security, waste management and training.
The annual increase in Saudi Arabia?s domestic demand for energy ranges now between six and eight per cent, whereas the forecasts indicate that the kingdom will have to increase its generated power by 80 GW by 2040.
K.A.CARE president added, ?With such an increase in the local demand for energy, it is of paramount importance for the kingdom to utilise, in a safe, sustainable and clean manner, the technology of atomic and renewable energy to meet its ever-increasing demand for energy, which will permit us to preserve our hydrocarbon resources for generations to come.?
In a bid to train KSA?s engineering graduates in nuclear energy, K.A.CARE recently also signed agreement with the International Institute of Nuclear Energy (I2EN), a French government initiative to bring together leading universities and engineering schools to help create responsible development of nuclear energy.
