South African Energy Minister, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, said that the country will put out requests for proposals on a nuclear procurement process at the end of September, with a production capacity of 9,600 MW, Reuters reported.

South Africa has said it intends to build new nuclear power stations to reduce its heavy dependence on coal but critics have said the costs will be prohibitive and have questioned the transparency around the process.

In related news, Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa, told delegates of the National Council of Provinces that the government has not entered into a nuclear deal with any country, adding that the nuclear program would be based on affordability and sustainability. He said: “We are open to a fair and transparent procurement process, and at a scale and pace that our country can afford,” according to News24.

Egypt Oil&Gas reported earlier September, that South African power utility Eskom is moving forward with plans to construct and operate multiple nuclear installations and power reactors in Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces.