An article on CNBC reports that Saudi Arabia has plans to build 16 nuclear reactors in a effort to reduce its consumption of its own oil. According to the World Nuclear Association, one fourth of Saudi Arabia’s oil production is consumed domestically, and 65 per cent of its electricity is generated by oil-burning power stations.
Saudi Arabia is committed to investing more than $80 billion over the next quarter century to building nuclear power plants, and it is calling on the US to give it the right to produce its own nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes.
I would take this as a sign that Saudi Arabia is either not very informed about the potential for LENR playing an important energy generation role in the future, or if they do know about it, not confident that LENR can be a competitive energy source over the next few decades. It is going to take a lot for decision makers to take LENR seriously as an energy source of the future.
Full article is here: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/18/munich-security-conference-saudi-arabia-sees-nuclear-energy-as-a-way-to-save-oil.html