Russia, South Africa Agree Cooperation in Nuclear Energy

VIENNA, September 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and South Africa have signed an intergovernmental agreement on strategic partnership in nuclear energy sector opening the possibility of construction of nuclear reactors in the country using Russian technologies, state nuclear corporation Rosatom said Monday.

"The agreement creates a basis for the development of South Africa's program on construction of nuclear power plants equipped with Russian VVER-type reactors with total generating capacity of up to 9.6 GWt (up to eight units)," a Rosatom spokesman told RIA Novosti.

"Those would be the first nuclear power plants on the African continent using Russian technology," the official said.

South Africa currently has two nuclear reactors generating 5 percent of its electricity.