사우디 원전, 수주 전망 밝다...사우디 정부 "초청국가 중 하나" Nuclear Power in Saudi Arabia

사우디 경제장관 “원전 추진 시 초청국가 중 하나” 언급

 

박근혜 대통령이 31일 청와대에서 사우디 알 자세르 경제기획부 장관과 알 라비아 상공부 장관, 알 자밀 상공회의

소장과 만나 악수를 하고 있다. 사진=뉴시스

 

 

[사우디 원전 건설계획]

사우디는 향후 20년간 1120억불을 투자해 총 16기의 원전 건설을 계획하고 있다.

앞으로 10년내에 2기의 원전을 보유한 후 2030년까지 매년 2기의 원전을 건설하게 된다.

사우디 정부는 원전 1기 당 70억불의 건설비가 소요될 것으로 예상하고 있다.

http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-12615-ksa-to-spend-112bn-building-16-nuclear-plants/

<에디터 황기철>

 

아랍에미리트(UAE)원전 수주 이후 원전의 도입국가를 중심으로 다양한 수주활동을 펼치고 있는 사우디아라비아 원전프로젝트에서 우리의 가능성을 점쳐볼 수 있는 사우디아라비아 경제 장관의 발언이 나왔다. 그 동안 한전을 중심으로 한 우리 측은 원전기자재 로드쇼 등 사우디아라비와의 협력을 꾸준히 추진해 오고 있다.   박근혜 대통령은 ‘한-사우디아라비아 비즈니스 포럼’ 참석한 방한한 무함마드 알 자세르(Muhammed Al-Jasser) 경제기획부 장관과 타우픽 알 라비아(Tawfiq Al-Radiah) 상공부 장관 등 경제 관련 사우디아리비아 장관들을 31일 청와대에서 접견하고 원전 등 경제협력방안을 논의했다.   이날 박 대통령은 자원부족으로 원자력산업을 육성한 결과 23기의 원전을 운영하는 등 세계에서 가장 활발한 원전산업을 하는 국가라면서 “지난 30년 간 사고 없이 안정적으로 원전을 건설·운영해 왔다”고 소개하며 원전외교에 나섰다.   이어 그는 아랍에미리트원전이 차질 없이 진행 중이란 점을 언급하면서 사우디아라비아 원전프로젝트에 참여할 수 있도록 사우디아라비아정부의 관심과 지지를 당부했다.   그러면서 박 대통령은 이 프로젝트를 통해 우리나라와 사우디아라비아 간 원전인력·기술개발과 원전기자재 현지화 등 협력이 확대될 수 있을 것이라고 거듭 강조했다.   이에 대해 알 자세르 경제기획부 장관은 “사우디아라비아 원전프로젝트 추진 시 한국은 초청국가 중 하나가 될 것”이라면서 특히 원전기자재부문 협력가능성 등이 고무적이라 생각한다고 화답했다.   한편 박 대통령은 이 자리에서 에너지·건설부문에서 양국 경제협력은 상당히 돈독했다고 언급한 뒤 우리 기업이 사우디아라비아에서 추진하는 발전소·정유소 등의 인프라공사에 참여할 수 있도록 관심을 가져줄 것을 당부했다.   이어 그는 동북아 석유거래 중심지가 되기 위해 ‘동북아 오일허브사업’을 적극적으로 추진 중이며 동북아 석유수급 안전성이 제고돼 산유국에게도 긍정적인 효과를 줄 것이라면서 사우디아라비아가 울산 남항 저장시설구축사업 등에 해외 파트너로 참여해 줄 것을 요청하기도 했다.   이에 알 자세르 장관은 “사우디아라비아 아람코(ARAMCO)가 이미 한국과 성공적으로 협력을 진행 중이므로 앞으로도 에너지부문 협력이 보다 확대 강화될 것”으로 기대했다. [에너지타임즈] 김진철 기자  kjc@energytimes.kr

 

Nuclear Power in Saudi Arabia

 

 

(Updated September 2014) •Saudi Arabia plans to construct 16 nuclear power reactors over the next 20 years at a cost of more than $80 billion, with the first reactor on line in 2022. •It projects 17 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2032 to provide 15% of the power then, along with over 40 GWe of solar capacity. In December 2006 the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Oman – announced that the Council was commissioning a study on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. France agreed to work with them on this, and Iran pledged assistance with nuclear technology.   Together they produce 416 billion kWh per year (2009), all from fossil fuels and with 5-7% annual demand growth. They have total installed capacity of about 90 GWe, with a common grid apart from Saudi Arabia. There is also a large demand for desalination, currently fuelled by oil and gas. In February 2007 the six states agreed with the IAEA to cooperate on a feasibility study for a regional nuclear power and desalination program. Saudi Arabia was leading the investigation and thought that a program might emerge about 2009.   Saudi electricity Saudi Arabia is the main electricity producer and consumer in the Gulf States, with 250 billion kWh gross production in 2011 – 142 billion kWh from oil and 108 from gas. Energy use for electricity and heat production including desalination in 2011 was 28,783 PJ, 57% of it from oil. Generating capacity is over 30 GWe. Demand is growing 8% per year and peak demand is expected to be 70 GWe by 2020 and 120 GWe by 2030. Saudi Arabia is unique in the region in having 60 Hz grid frequency, which severely limits the potential for grid interconnections – it has no electricity import or export. Its population is about 29 million, and per capita consumption about 7200 kWh/yr.   The Ministry of Water & Electricity (MOWE) is broadly responsible for power and desalination in the country.   It has plans to install 24 GWe of renewable capacity by 2020, and 50 GWe by 2032, and is looking at the prospects of exporting up to 10 GWe of this to Italy or Spain during winter when much generating capacity is under-utilised (cooling accounts for over half the capacity in summer). The 50 GWe in 2032 is to comprise 25 GWe CSP, 16 GWe solar PV, 4 GWe geothermal and waste (together supplying 150-190 TWh, 23-30% of power), complementing 18 GWe nuclear (supplying 131 TWh/yr, 20% of power), and supplemented by 60.5 GWe hydrocarbon capacity which would be little used (c10 GWe) for half the year.   The first of three phases of the King Abdullah Solar water initiative were expected to be operating by the end of 2013. Phase 1 involves construction of two solar plants which will generate 10 MW of power for a 30,000 m³/d reverse-osmosis (RO) desalination plant at Al Khafji, near the Kuwait border. Phase 2 will involve construction of a 300,000 m³/d desalination plant over three years. The third phase aims to implement the solar water initiative throughout Saudi Arabia, with the eventual target of seeing all the country's desalination plants powered by solar energy by 2020.   Meanwhile the country continues to install huge desalination capacity, much of it thermal MSF and MED, but a lot is reverse osmosis (RO), driven by electricity.   Saudi Nuclear power plans In August 2009 the Saudi government announced that it was considering a nuclear power program on its own, and in April 2010 a royal decree said: "The development of atomic energy is essential to meet the Kingdom's growing requirements for energy to generate electricity, produce desalinated water and reduce reliance on depleting hydrocarbon resources." The King Abdullah City for Nuclear and Renewable Energy (KA-CARE) was set up in Riyadh to advance this agenda as an alternative to oil and to be the competent agency for treaties on nuclear energy signed by the kingdom. It is also responsible for supervising works related to nuclear energy and radioactive waste projects.   In June 2010 it appointed the Finland- and Swiss-based Poyry consultancy firm to help define "high-level strategy in the area of nuclear and renewable energy applications" with desalination. In November 2011 it appointed WorleyParsons to conduct site surveys and regional analysis to identify potential sites, to select candidate sites then compare and rank them, and to develop technical specifications for a planned tender for the next stage of the Saudi nuclear power project. Three sites were short-listed as of September 2013: Jubail on the Gulf; and Tabuk and Jizan on the Red Sea. The Nuclear Holding Company was being set up in 2013.   In June 2011 the coordinator of scientific collaboration at KA-CARE said that it plans to construct 16 nuclear power reactors over the next 20 years at a cost of more than 300 billion riyals ($80 billion). These would generate about 20% of Saudi Arabia's electricity. Smaller reactors such as Argentina’s CAREM are envisaged for desalination. An April 2013 timeline showed nuclear construction starting in 2016.   In May 2012 KA-CARE projected 18 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2032 of total 123 GWe, with 16 GWe solar PV, 25 GWe solar CSP (to provide for heat storage), and 4 GWe from geothermal, wind and waste. About half the capacity in 2032 would still be hydrocarbon, with one-third solar following investment in that of some $108 billion. In addition 9 GWe of wind capacity would be used for desalination.   In September 2013 both GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Toshiba/ Westinghouse signed contracts with Exelon Nuclear Partners (ENP), a division of Exelon Generation, to pursue reactor construction deals with KA-CARE. GEH is proposing its ABWR and ESBWR, while Toshiba/ Westinghouse is proposing the AP1000 and its ABWR version. Areva and EdF have signed a number of agreements with Saudi companies and universities, and EdF signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia's Global Energy Holding Company (GEHC) for the creation of a joint venture whose first task will be to carry out feasibility studies for an EPR reactor in the country.   A national Saudi Arabian Atomic Regulatory Authority (SAARA) has been set up to commence activities early in 2014. In May 2014 KA-CARE signed an agreement with the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) to assist in this by recruiting and training personnel and establishing safety standards.   International agreements A nuclear cooperation agreement with France in early 2011 is likely to energetically advance French interests in the country’s plans. A mid-2011 nuclear cooperation agreement with Argentina is evidently related to smaller plants for desalination. A November 2011 agreement with South Korea calls for cooperation in nuclear R&D, including building nuclear power plants and research reactors, as well as training, safety and waste management. In June 2013 Kepco offered support for the localization of nuclear technology, along with joint research and development of nuclear technologies if Saudi Arabia purchases South Korean reactors. A January 2012 agreement with China relates to nuclear plant development and maintenance, research reactors, and the provision of fabricated nuclear fuel. A further agreement with CNNC was signed in August 2014. KA-CARE said it was negotiating with Russia, Czech Republic, UK and the USA regarding "further cooperation".   Saudi Arabia has had a safeguards agreement in force with the IAEA since 2009, but no Additional Protocol.   Sources Muhammad Garwan, K.A.CARE, Nov 2013, Sustainable Energy Mix for Saudi Arabia   world-nuclear.org

 

 

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