South Africa has signed a deal on nuclear energy cooperation with China to expand its power supply system following similar agreements with Russia and France.

The agreement was inked on Friday by South African Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson and her Chinese counterpart Wu Xinxiong, according to the African country’s Department of Energy.

“The agreement initiates the preparatory phase for a possible utilization of Chinese nuclear technology in South Africa,” the department said.

The South African government is committed to expanding nuclear power generation by an additional 9.6 gigawatts by 2030, Joemat-Pettersson said in a statement.

“We will be looking for significant localization that can contribute to broad industrialization and the development of a thriving knowledge economy in South Africa,” the statement added.

South Africa currently owns one nuclear plant called Koeberg, which is located near the city of Cape Town. The country is heavily dependent on coal-fired power stations for its electricity needs.

State-run electricity producer Eskom struggles to meet rising demands in Africa’s second-biggest economy. However, power supply has recently faced severe cuts and people have witnessed many blackouts.

The country’s slow economic growth has been blamed on electricity constraints. South Africa, like most other nations, is looking into the use of nuclear power to increase its electricity generation.