MENA region plans $400b new nuclear project

JEDDAH - Middle East and North African nations including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan and Egypt are pushing forward new nuclear construction and operation projects that are offering global companies and local civil engineering firms over $400 billion worth of new projects.
Against this backdrop, the 2nd Annual MENA Nuclear Construction Conference will be held on Sept. 26-27 in Dubai.

Conference hosts Nuclear Energy Insider said "over the last year the importance of this meeting has grown significantly due to the rapid expansion of MENA new build programs across the region. With over $400 billion of real projects being addressed with real financial muscle, this is the only nuclear meeting suppliers and contractors need to attend in 2011."

Saudi Arabia's recently established King Abdullah City of Atomic and Renewable Energy (KA CARE) are working to build an entire city that produces zero Co2 emissions by only using an energy mix of nuclear power and other renewable sources. This complex and sizeable new nuclear project is by far the region's largest, with an individual budget of over $350 billion to secure 16 new nuclear units.

The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission announced last year a single 1,000 MW unit to be constructed at Majdal, Mafraq Province in central Jordan. The main EPC contractor will be announced soon and the construction will begin shortly, for the $6 billion plant to be operational by 2017.