Russia is ready to help build new nuclear power stations in South Africa and join ventures to mine uranium for the world market, Russia’s nuclear chief said on Wednesday, Interfax news agency reported. “The market is open for us,” Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia’s atomic energy agency (Rosatom), said in Pretoria, Interfax reported.

Russian officials said state-run run Tekhsnabexport (Tenex), Russian firm Renova and South Africa’s Harmony Gold had signed a memorandum to boost cooperation during Kiriyenko’s visit.

Tenex was also seeking to extend to 2020 the terms of a contract under which Tenex supplies low-enriched uranium to South Africa, Interfax reported.

South Africa, which operates Africa’s only nuclear power station, said this month it planned to build a second nuclear power station in a bid to boost energy supplies as power demand soars.

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