American intelligence services are studying information about attempts by Saudi Arabia to build a facility designed to produce the so-called yellow cake-a concentrate obtained during the processing of uranium ore, The New York Times reports, citing sources in the US administration.
According to them, in recent weeks, the American intelligence community has conducted a thorough analysis of data related to the proposed construction of a plant in the desert near the city of AlUla. Sources of the publication indicate that the creation of such an enterprise, which is allegedly carried out in cooperation with China, may lead to the receipt of Riyadh nuclear fuel, which can later be used in the creation of nuclear weapons. According to the publication, American intelligence has satellite images of the area, which indicate that the construction of the plant began there in 2014.
The State Department declined to comment on the newspaper's sources, but stressed that Washington "regularly warns all its allies about the risks of cooperation with China in the peaceful use of nuclear energy." According to representatives of the US Foreign Ministry, this may later turn into "restrictions, strategic pressure and theft of technology." "We strongly recommend that our partners work only with verified suppliers who strictly adhere to the principles of non-proliferation [of nuclear weapons]," the State Department said.
On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal, citing sources from Western officials, reported that Saudi Arabia, with the help of two Chinese companies, is building an enterprise in the North-West of the Kingdom intended for the production of "yellow cake". According to it, the construction is of concern to the United States and its allies, who suspect that Riyadh leaves open the possibility of developing nuclear weapons. The Ministry of Energy of Saudi Arabia, at the request of the newspaper, "categorically denied" information about the construction of a plant for obtaining uranium concentrate in the desert in the AlUla district.
Saudi nuclear power programs
In July 2017, the government of the Kingdom approved a project for the development of peaceful nuclear energy, the main goal of which is to free itself from oil dependence. This development concept is provided for in the Vision 2030 program, initiated by the Crown Prince in 2015 and aimed, among other things, at avoiding hydrocarbons. In November 2018, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman al Saud, launched a number of major projects, including the creation of the Kingdom's first research nuclear reactor based on King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, KACST.
The Kingdom's Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, announced plans in September last year to extract and enrich uranium for the national nuclear energy program. The head of the Department indicated that his country planned to start with two nuclear reactors for research, but did not give a time frame for starting such research.
As previously reported, one of the world's leading oil exporters plans to generate 9.5 gigawatts of electricity from renewable sources by 2030. There are plans to build 16 nuclear reactors on the territory of the country. Since October 2017, Rosatom has been participating in a competitive dialogue on the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Saudi Arabia.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from TASS