JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 7 (UPI) -- South Africa's plan to build a nuclear power plant has sparked interest among the world's nuclear-power companies.
A Johannesburg newspaper, The Independent, reported Saturday that major players from Russia, the United States and Europe have been making overtures to South Africa for a piece of the project.
South Africa announced last fall it planned to build a conventional nuclear plant; however, the project has been proceeding slowly.
The U.S. company Westinghouse, which is owned by Japan's Toshiba, has already formed an alliance with PBMR Pty Ltd. to develop so-called pebble bed reactor technology. Russia has struck a uranium-mining deal with South African companies.
Although worldwide the nuclear industry is thriving, South Africa's program has come under criticism from environmentalists, who argue the cost of nuclear power coupled with the nation's electric grid monopoly makes nukes a bad deal for the public.
