Forming partnerships with international firms with nuclear experience will form a key part of winning work in Saudi Arabia’s upcoming nuclear programme, according to speakers at MEED’s Saudi Arabian Energy EPC Projects 2013 conference on 22 April.

“Nuclear is a specialised sector, so to be involved you will need to satisfy local and international requirements,” said Philip Norman, director of power at project management consultancy Atkins. “And to do this you will need partners specialised in that field.”

Norman advised local and regional contractors looking to win work on the nuclear schemes to begin looking at partnerships as soon as possible.

“Contractors interested in the programme should start monitoring companies that are engaged in nuclear projects and start forming associations to work towards competing in the programme in the future,” said Norman. “There will be plenty of opportunities in the nuclear field.”

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Centre for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KA-Care), which is overseeing the kingdom’s plans to develop a 17GW nuclear power programme by 2032, is working on an aggressive timetable to introduce atomic energy as a key source of power in the coming years.

“The programme is fairly aggressive and procurement is not far away. The first procurement may come later this year,” said Norman.

Late in the second quarter last year, KA-Care appointed a group of advisers to work on the development of its planned nuclear power programme. The advisory group includes US management consultancy Oliver Wyman, France’s BNP Paribas and Saudi Arabia’s Riyad Bank.