Having determined the suitable sites, having in place the necessary infra­structure and legal instruments, the next step is to decide which vendors and plant types and power are needed for the energy plan of the country. The plan should include the forecast of energy demand over at least six decades. A small investment is necessary during this phase: the preparation of the required and available competence, the national energy requirements and the availability of the necessary funds including loans as necessary. The evaluation of the industrial capabilities of the country is to be determined at this stage since it influences the choices and decisions for the bidding process, for example a turnkey contract, or the inclusion of supplementary training for staff.

For the bid evaluation, a team should be constituted that will work with a given set of criteria depending on the specifications of the bid. Consultation with the established regulatory body is also necessary to make sure that the projects submitted meet all the safety requirements and would be licensable. It is recommended to verify that the reactor proposed in the bids is licensable in the country of the vendor and that a prototype has already been built. Depending on the bid specification, it should also be examined whether the proposal includes the necessary transfer of information supporting the construction and operation of the nuclear power plant during its lifetime. Decommissioning provisions should also be part of the project to facilitate the end of life of the instal­lation. See Chapter 24 of the present book for detailed information on decommissioning.

The technology to choose depends on the energy plan and financial pos­sibilities. The most advanced technologies at the present time are light water reactors, pressurized or boiling. The fuel supply guarantees need to be con­sidered together with the spent fuel storage and final disposal.