South Africa's nuclear project attracts bids from Russia and China

South Africa hopes to install an additional 9600 megawatts of nuclear power and it plans to finalize the requirements in April.

According to unidentified sources, China and Russia are top on the race to win the bid.

“From what I have seen, the Russians do have a case and so do the Chinese. If we go with two countries, it could include the Chinese,” said the official, who did not want to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

The government plans to build a nuclear plant by 2030 at an estimated cost of $ 1 billion.

While addressing the country in his state of nation speech on Thursday, South Africa’s president Jacob Zuma said the country would procure nuclear energy at a pace and scale that it could afford.

Africa’s most advanced economy currently faces weak growth due to power cuts and the downturn in global commodity prices.