Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson
Photo by: Duane Daws
In what is now the fourth such agreement, Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson signed an ‘Inter-Governmental Framework Agreement on Nuclear Cooperation’ on Friday with China’s National Energy Administration director Wu Xinxiong.
Similar agreements have been signed with South Korea, France and Russia, with the Russian deal having caused much confusion when it was announced in late September.
It is understood that similar agreements may yet be signed with Japan and possibly the US at a later stage.
The Department of Energy said the agreement formed part of a preparatory phase for a possible use of Chinese nuclear technology in South Africa, which was considering the introduction of up to 9 600 MW of new nuclear generation.
As part of the preparatory phase government was also having so-called “nuclear vendor parade workshops” with potential suppliers, with the first such workshop having been with Russia and Rosatom on October 23.
Engineering News Online has learned that a similar workshop is being planned with France and Areva for some time in November.