OREANDA-NEWS. June 04, 2012.  On June 4, 2012 within the International Forum “ATOMEXPO 2012” JSC Rusatom (which is the Overseas arm of ROSATOM) and the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (NECSA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of State Corporation “ROSATOM” Director General Mr. Sergey Kirienko and Minister of the Department of Energy (DoE) of South Africa Ms. Dipuo Peters.

The MoU was signed by Rusatom Overseas Director General Mr. Alexey Kalinin and NTP Executive Director, Ms. Mapula Letsoalo on behalf of NECSA.

According to the MoU, the Parties will begin to elaborate joint business projects in such areas as production and marketing of isotope production, nuclear fuel fabrication and the manufacture of power equipment. In addition, with the agreement of the Parties the list of promising topics for joint development may be expanded.

The Parties proceed from the common understanding that collaboration within the MoU will facilitate the implementation of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2010) of South Africa, providing, in particular, construction of 9.6 GW nuclear power plants by 2030. Apart from that, Rusatom Overseas and NECSA intend to develop mutually beneficial cooperation in third countries, including State Corporation “ROSATOM” NPP (Nuclear Power Plant) construction projects abroad.

Rusatom Overseas Director General Mr. Alexey Kalinin stressed, that ROSATOM attaches significant importance to developing cooperation with the South African nuclear industry. “Signing the MoU with NECSA allows us to make practical the implementation of initiatives on those prospective cooperation areas, which have been intensely studied by the specialists of our countries during last year. We see great potential in such cooperation and are looking forward to witnessing the first significant results,” Kalinin said.

“The South African nuclear industry has a great potential for growth, not only in the business of isotope production where South Africa is already playing a role but also in areas such as fuel fabrication and nuclear manufacturing. Local provision of both nuclear and conventional power plant equipment for the envisaged NPPs will be a good undertaking for NECSA Partnerships such as the one reinforced by this Memorandum will ensure that NECSA is in a good position to participate in the execution of many South African initiatives falling within the scope of this agreement,” said NECSA acting CEO Don Robertson.