The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, announced the construction of the second and third nuclear power plants in the republic. The head of state made this statement in an interview with the newspaper Ana tili, published on January 3.
In response to a journalist's question about plans to attract "foreign companies with the best technologies" for the construction of nuclear power plants, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that this issue was discussed with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Kazakhstan in November.
The parties agreed that the Kazakh side would act as the general operator of the consortium as the project customer, with "Rosatom" potentially participating. Additionally, negotiations are underway with a Chinese company, and "other foreign corporations, including Western ones," have also expressed interest in the project, shared the Kazakh president.
Tokayev announced that competitive procedures will be conducted this year, based on which the government will make an "ultimate decision."
"Moreover, I do not rule out that in the near future we will begin the construction of the second, and possibly the third nuclear power plant. The nuclear industry will give a powerful boost to the development of our economy, which is already experiencing an energy deficit," said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Furthermore, the head of state emphasized that Kazakhstan must become a country with a developed nuclear energy sector and expressed confidence that "there is a great future ahead."
Construction of Nuclear Power Plants in Kazakhstan
In December 2021, it became known about negotiations between Kazakhstan and "Rosatom" regarding the construction of a nuclear power plant. Energy Minister Bolat Akchulakov highlighted the extensive uranium reserves and the presence of nuclear fuel production as factors favoring the initiative.
On October 6 last year, a referendum was held in Kazakhstan regarding the construction of a nuclear power plant. The proposal was supported by about 71% of voters with a turnout of 63.6%.
Several days after the voting, the first Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Roman Sklyar, announced that Kazakhstan plans to assign the construction of the nuclear power plant to an international consortium.
"We should not focus on just one supplier or contractor. We [want] to create a consortium, which, as practice shows, works most effectively," the official stated.
A special project group will be responsible for selecting contractors, also taking into account potential political risks. The consortium is expected to involve no more than five countries, the Deputy Prime Minister added.
At least a year will be spent on developing the feasibility study before construction begins, and one and a half years on the design and estimate documentation.
Earlier, Spot reported that businesses are expected to be allowed to pay for electricity through mobile applications.