[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 233 (Wednesday, December 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57572-57574]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26225]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
U.S.-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Civil Nuclear Energy
Roundtable
AGENCY: International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of U.S.-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Civil Nuclear
Energy Roundtable.
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Roundtable Description
The United States Department of Commerce's (DOC) International
Trade Administration (ITA), with the support of the U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE), is organizing a U.S.-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Civil
Nuclear Energy Roundtable, to be held December 17-18, 2017, in Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia.
The purpose of the Roundtable is to initiate a partnership process
between U.S. civil nuclear energy companies and the King Abdullah City
for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE), and between the U.S. and
KSA civil nuclear industries. The Roundtable will provide an
opportunity for in-depth information sharing and discussion of U.S.
industry's technologies, products, and services to support the KSA's
nuclear power deployment plans.
Roundtable Setting
Saudi Arabia has no nuclear reactors in operation or under
construction but recently announced plans to build its first two
nuclear reactors and award a construction contract for the project by
the end of 2018. Adding nuclear power to its energy generation mix
would allow Saudi Arabia to diversify its energy sources and respond to
increased electricity demands. The development of its nuclear power
program also aligns with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 plan, an economic
and social reform program that aims to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence
on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such
as health, education, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism. Since
2010, Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in nuclear power for
electricity generation, desalination and long-term R&D, as well as
small and advanced reactor designs. To achieve its civil nuclear goals,
Saudi Arabia is pursuing international partnerships to develop its
legal and regulatory infrastructure, incorporate advanced technologies,
and train and educate its workforce. The KSA's upcoming tender for two
nuclear reactors is valued at over $10 billion and follow-on projects
could be worth tens of billions more.
Roundtable Goals
The Roundtable will focus on two areas: (1) Advanced Reactor
Technologies and (2) Human Capacity/Workforce Development. The goal of
the Roundtable is to discuss how U.S. providers of advanced reactor
technologies and workforce development services can support K.A.CARE's
plans in these areas.
Advanced Reactor Technologies
Potential participants that are U.S. advanced reactor technology
providers should be willing to partner with the KSA and have technology
that is scheduled to be deployed in the late 2020s to early 2030s or
sooner. U.S. companies in this area include providers of advanced light
water small modular reactors (SMRs), high temperature gas reactors, and
sodium cooled fast reactors. Advanced reactor technology providers will
receive heightened consideration if they are reactor designers and can
demonstrate one or more of the following attributes.
Be a recipient of funds from the U.S. Department of
Energy's (DOE) Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN);
Be a Federal cost share recipient;
Have DOE Technical Readiness Level 3 or greater;
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Have experimental work underway at a university or U.S.
National Laboratory facilities.
Human Capacity/Workforce Development
Potential participants that focus on Human Capacity/Workforce
Development may be U.S. academic, research, or commercial entities and
should be willing to partner with the KSA. Applicants in this area
should focus on the following workforce development areas and have one
or more of the following attributes.
Public education and awareness of nuclear energy and
careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
[cir] Practitioners with proven record of developing and deploying
public education programs through k-12 school systems with a focus on
nuclear energy and STEM careers.
Education and capacity-building for political and
community leaders and decision-makers.
[cir] Practitioners with a proven track record of developing and
deploying education and capacity-building programs for elected
officials, community, and governmental leaders. Programs should
include: (1) Public communication on nuclear energy and nuclear issues;
(2) emergency planning for nuclear facilities; and (3) stakeholder
engagement on nuclear energy issues.
Vocational and technician training.
[cir] Providers of nuclear energy-specific training that meets U.S.
national commercial nuclear training and qualification standards
including, but not limited to training for non-licensed operators,
radiation protection technicians, chemistry technicians,
instrumentation and control technicians, mechanical maintenance
technicians, electrical maintenance technicians, quality assurance
specialists, welders, and non-destructive examination technicians.
University education and research.
[cir] Universities with strong nuclear engineering degree program
(graduate and undergraduate), a proven track record of nuclear energy
R&D and an operating training/test reactor. Universities must also have
strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Electrical,
Chemical, Mechanical and Civil engineering.
R&D collaboration for human resource development.
[cir] Internationally recognized research institutions that have a
proven track record of developing international human resource capacity
through collaborative R&D programs.
Nuclear plant operations staffing, training,
organizational development and leadership development.
[cir] Commercial nuclear energy facility licensee with a
demonstrated record of reactor operations, training, human resource,
leadership and organizational development.
[cir] Practitioners with a demonstrated track record of developing
human capital and organizational development plans for nuclear
utilities.
Roundtable Format
U.S. providers of the above technologies, products and services
will engage in group discussions and networking with K.A.CARE and other
KSA government officials to discuss potential partnering opportunities.
Participants will meet with and present their products and services to
representatives from K.A.CARE and the KSA's human resource and
university community with the goal of gaining a better understanding of
partnering opportunities to support KSA's civil nuclear sector.
Event Dates and Proposed Agenda
* * * * specific events and meeting times have yet to be confirmed
* * * *
Day 1: Sunday, December 17
This day will begin with an opening session, followed by two
parallel sessions on advanced reactor technologies and human capacity
development. Each session will start with a presentation by K.A.CARE on
the Government of Saudi Arabia's needs in each focus area and the
framework for partnering with U.S. civil nuclear companies. Following
this, participants will:
Participate in discussions with K.A.CARE consisting of
presentations and dialogues on advanced reactor technologies and human
capacity/workforce development.
Participate in networking opportunities with K.A.CARE
officials.
At the conclusion of the day, there will be a networking reception
with senior officials from K.A.CARE and the KSA government.
Day 2: Monday, December 18
Parallel sessions will continue, including presentations, panel
sessions and discussion. At the conclusion of the day, there will be a
networking reception with senior officials from K.A.CARE and the KSA
government.
Participation Requirements
Applicants must sign and submit a completed Roundtable application
form and satisfy all of the conditions of participation in order to be
eligible for consideration. A minimum of 15 and maximum of 30
applicants will be selected to participate in the Roundtable. The
Department of Commerce will evaluate applications and inform applicants
of selection decisions on a rolling basis until the maximum number of
participants has been selected. The first eight applicants selected are
eligible to have two representatives at the Roundtable (if desired).
For applications received after the first eight, there is a limit of
one representative per organization. For purposes of this event, ``U.S.
industry'' refers to U.S. companies, academic or research institutions,
or trade associations.
Conditions for Participation
Applicants must submit a completed registration form
signed by a company, trade association, or academic or research
institution official, together with supplemental materials, including
adequate information on the organization's products and/or services,
primary market objectives, and goals for participation.
If the DOC receives an incomplete application, the DOC may
reject the application, request additional information, or take the
lack of information into account in its evaluation.
Application forms must be received by the deadline noted
in the event Federal Register Notice.
Each applicant must certify that their organization is not
majority owned or controlled by a foreign government entity (or foreign
government entities).
Applicants must certify that the products or services it
seeks to promote through the Roundtable are either produced in the
United States, or, if not, marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and
have demonstrable U.S. content as a percentage of the value of the
finished product or service.
In the case of a trade association, the applicant must
certify that it will only be representing companies during the
Roundtable that satisfy the certification requirement in the bullet
above.
In the case of an academic or research institution, the
applicant must certify that as part of its activities at the
Roundtable, it will represent the interests of the organization's U.S.-
based operations.
In addition, applicants must:
Certify that the export of the products and services that
it wishes to export through the Roundtable would be in compliance with
U.S. export controls and regulations;
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Certify that it has identified to the Department of
Commerce any business matter pending before any bureau or office in the
Department of Commerce;
Certify that it has identified any pending litigation
(including any administrative proceedings) to which it is a party that
involves the Department of Commerce; and
Sign and submit an agreement that it and its affiliates
(1) have not and will not engage in the bribery of foreign officials in
connection with a company's/participant's involvement in this event,
and (2) maintain and enforce a policy that prohibits the bribery of
foreign officials.
Selection Criteria
Selection will be based on the following criteria:
Suitability of the company's (or, in the case of another
organization, represented companies' or constituents') products or
services to the KSA market.
The company's (or, in the case of another organization,
represented companies' or constituents') potential for business in the
KSA, including likelihood of exports resulting from the Roundtable.
Consistency of the applicant company's (or, in the case of
another organization, represented companies' or constituents') goals
and objectives with the stated Roundtable scope.
Applicants will be evaluated on their ability to meet the
Roundtable focus area criteria (advanced reactor technologies and human
capacity/workforce development).
Applicants are encouraged to send representatives at the CEO,
President, Vice President, or Senior VP level. For academic and
research institutions, representatives should be knowledgeable about
their organization's program offerings and capability to partner
internationally.
Referrals from political organizations and any documents containing
references to partisan political activities (including political
contributions) will be removed from an applicant's submission and will
not be considered.
Fees and Expenses
After a company or organization has been selected to participate in
the Roundtable, a payment to the DOC in the form of a participation fee
is required. The fee covers direct and indirect costs related to DOC
support for organizing the Roundtable.
The fee to participate in the Roundtable is $1,740 for a
large company, trade association, or a university or research
institution. The fee to participate in the Roundtable is $1,313 for a
small or medium-sized company (SME).
The fee for each additional representative (large company,
trade association, university/research institution) $1,740. The fee for
each additional representative (SME) is $1,313.
To apply for the Roundtable, complete the event
application at https://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/TM/8R0T.
Participants selected for the Roundtable will be expected to pay
for the cost of all personal expenses, including, but not limited to,
international travel, lodging, meals, transportation, communication,
and incidentals, unless otherwise noted. In the event that the
Roundtable is cancelled, no personal expenses paid in anticipation of
the event will be reimbursed. However, participation fees for a
cancelled Roundtable will be reimbursed to the extent they have not
already been expended in the anticipation of the event.
Visas
All attendees are responsible for handling their own visa
processing to enter the KSA. Any private sector visitor to the KSA must
submit an original, signed passport valid for six months beyond their
stay in the KSA, with at least two adjacent, blank passport pages
available for Saudi visa stamp and Saudi entry stamps. Amendment pages
in the back of the passport are not suitable for a Saudi Arabia visa. A
Saudi visa is usually processed in 4 to 7 business days after all
materials, including signed enjaz forms, have been received by the visa
processing company. There are numerous companies with which the KSA
Embassy in Washington, DC works to handle visa applications. Accepted
applicants will receive information on how to process their visa
application.
All visitors to the KSA also require a letter of invitation from a
Saudi partner. DOC will work with K.A.CARE to facilitate a Letter of
Invitation for Roundtable participants.
Timeframe for Recruitment and Participation
Recruitment for participation in the Roundtable will be conducted
in an open and public manner, including publication in the Federal
Register, posting on the DOC trade mission calendar, and notices to
industry trade associations and other multiplier groups. The
recruitment period will end two weeks after publication in the Federal
Register or when recruitment is at capacity. The Department of Commerce
will evaluate applications and inform applicants of selection decisions
on a rolling basis until the maximum number of participants has been
selected. Applications received after December 8, 2017, will be
considered only if space and scheduling permit.
Contacts
Jonathan Chesebro, Industry & Analysis, Office of Energy and
Environmental Industries, Washington, DC, Tel: (202) 482-1297, Email:
[email protected]
Devin Horne, Industry & Analysis, Office of Energy and Environmental
Industries, Washington, DC, Tel: (202) 482-0775, Email:
[email protected]
Edward A. O'Malley,
Director, Office of Energy and Environmental Industries.
[FR Doc. 2017-26225 Filed 12-5-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P