ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 8. The construction of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant officially kicked off near Almaty's Ulken village, Trend reports.
The event was attended by Almassadam Satkaliyev, the chief of Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency, Alexey Likhachev, the General Director of Rosatom State Corporation, and other officials.
In his speech, Almassadam Satkaliyev emphasized that the ceremony symbolizes the beginning of engineering and survey works, a key stage in the preparation for building the nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan. The outcomes of this phase will determine not only the specific location and configuration of the plant but also its safety, reliability, and economic efficiency.
According to him, the nuclear power plant project is being implemented with broad public support. Last year, more than 70 percent of the country's population supported the initiative in a nationwide referendum. The example of Ulken village is especially noteworthy, where 97 percent of residents participated in the vote, with approximately 90 percent voting "yes," providing the project with strong public backing.
“The total investment in the project will be around $14–15 billion,” Satkaliyev noted.
He also mentioned that an additional $1 billion will be allocated for the construction of social facilities and modern infrastructure.
Specialized equipment is already on-site, and a model of the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant has been installed. According to the Kazakhstan Atomic Energy Agency, the future Kazakh nuclear plant will be built similarly to this power station. The model represents Unit 6, which is the world’s first Generation 3+ power unit.
The completion of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant is planned for 2035–2036.
On October 6, 2024, Kazakhstan conducted a pivotal referendum regarding the establishment of nuclear power facilities. An overwhelming 71.12 percent of the electorate endorsed the initiative, accompanied by a voter engagement rate of 63.66 percent.