Oil giant Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement on Monday with Hungary to cooperate in the peaceful use of atomic energy.
The deal with Hungary includes cooperation in reactor design, construction and operation, security, waste management and training, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.
Hashim bin Abdullah Yamani, president of the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE), signed the deal with Hungary’s Minister of National Development Miklós Seszták, according to the report.
The SPA quoted Yamani as saying that the agreement with Hungary will help Saudi Arabia establish atomic and renewable energy in a sustainable way to help preserve depleting hydrocarbon resources.
It is the latest pact of its kind signed by the Kingdom, as it tries to diversify its energy sources.
Earlier this year the world’s largest oil exporter reached similar agreements with Russia and South Korea.
Saudi Arabia is entirely dependent on oil and gas for its electricity production, and according to SPA, its energy demand is growing between 6 to 8% annually.
In June, France and Saudi Arabia announced a feasibility study for building two nuclear reactors in the kingdom.
SPA said Saudi Arabia has reached additional cooperation pacts with China, Argentina and Finland, and hopes for more.
The late King Abdullah established K.A.CARE in 2010 to develop alternate energy, including atomic power.
