China and South Africa have signed an agreement that opens the door for cooperation on nuclear power technology.
China has joined Russia and France in reaching an accord on nuclear power with South Africa, which has the second largest economy and is the largest power producer on the African continent, Bloomberg reported.
The Inter-Governmental Framework Agreement on Nuclear Cooperation was signed by Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson and Minister, Administrator of China National Energy Agency Wu Xiongnu on Friday, according to AllAfrica.com.
South Africa is reaching out to other countries as it attempts to procure 9.6GW of energy by 2030 to meet growing demand. Japan is among the countries it is courting to help increase capacity.
Consequently, some of the largest companies in the industry, including Westinghouse Electric Corp. and Rosatom Corp have expressed interest in building power plants in the country.
Areva SA and Electricite de France SA of France, Korea Electric Power and China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Corporation have also said they would be interested in construction projects in South Africa.
"We have stated that the nuclear new build program offers important opportunities for South Africa as it will enhance job creation, skills development and the revitalization of our nuclear industry,” said Pettersson.
"We will be looking for significant localization that can contribute to broad industrialization and the development of a thriving knowledge economy in South Africa," she said.