Press releases
U.S.-South Africa Sign Agreement on Cooperation in Nuclear Energy Field
September 16, 2009
Pretoria -- U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and South African Minister of Energy Dipuo Peters signed a bilateral Agreement on Cooperation in Research and Development of Nuclear Energy on September 14 in Vienna. The Agreement will facilitate cooperation in the area of advanced nuclear energy systems. It will also augment efforts to promote and maintain nuclear science and engineering infrastructure and skills. One specific area of cooperation is expected to be research in the South African Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) as part of the multilateral Next Generation Nuclear Plant and Very High Temperature Gas Reactor programs. In addition, enhancement and sustainability of engineering skills and infrastructure will be another strong area of focus.
The two countries will collaborate in research and development of advanced technologies for improving the cost, safety, and proliferation-resistance of nuclear power systems. They hope to develop advanced concepts and scientific breakthroughs to address and overcome technical and economic obstacles to the expanded peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The cooperation will assist in the development of nuclear power in both countries to support economic growth in a sustainable way.
The signing of this Agreement followed bilateral discussions by U.S. and South African senior officials on a broad range of nuclear energy, nonproliferation, and disarmament issues in Pretoria, South Africa in August. President Obama and President Zuma decided during the July 8-10 G-8 Summit to expand our bilateral dialogue on these issues.
South Africa is an important partner in building international consensus and momentum among nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states on our shared nonproliferation and disarmament agenda. As the only state to have developed and then given up its nuclear weapons, joining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state, South Africa possesses unique credibility and perspective on these issues. The United States looks forward to working with South Africa at the Nuclear Security Summit in April 2010 in Washington.
For more information, please contact Embassy press officer:
Sharon Hudson-Dean 079-111-8276