LONDON, July 17. /TASS/. The United Arab Emirates is considering issuing a tender for construction of a second nuclear power plant in the country this year, Reuters reported citing the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Hamad Alkaabi.

"The government is looking at this option. No final decision has been made in terms of the tender process but I can tell you that the government is actively exploring this option," he said. The construction could attract tender bids from China, Russia and the United States, among others, the agency said, adding that "any contract for a new nuclear power plant would be worth tens of billions of dollars."

Any new power plant would likely consist of two or four reactors, Alkaabi said. As the final reactor of the UAE's only nuclear plant is set to start commercial operations this year, the government is evaluating whether to build a second plant, he added. The country has had discussions with major developers of nuclear energy technology, Alkaabi said without naming them.

The government of the UAE is projecting there will be a substantial increase in electricity use over the next decade that will be driven by population growth and an expanding industrial sector, Reuters said. The country does not plan to enrich uranium, which is why it purchases necessary fuel on the international market.