South Africa: Country Gears Up to Start Enriching Uranium

Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said yesterday SA would launch a uranium-beneficiation programme before year-end to tighten control over uranium reserves to secure nuclear fuel supplies for SA’s growing electricity needs.

Sonjica said plans were on track to declare uranium a “strategic mineral”. That need not restrict South African uranium-mining companies from exporting their products.
“But we have to be strategic in the manner in which we do that. One of the elements of ensuring energy security is sustainable use of primary energy sources by a country,” said Sonjica.

France had indicated its interest in entering the beneficiation programme to produce enriched uranium for use as nuclear fuel.

Sonjica said other countries showing interest in the beneficiation programme wanted to produce enriched uranium in their countries and not in SA. “But our first prize is to beneficiate uranium to enriched uranium in SA,” said Sonjica.

AllAfrica