BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 16. Kazakhstan does not plan to put the construction of a nuclear power plant (NPP) to a referendum, the country's Vice Minister of Energy Zhandos Nurmaganbetov said on the sidelines of the Senate meeting, Trend reports.
According to him, key considerations revolve around the site selection and the technological and socio-economic implications of the project.
Nurmaganbetov further revealed that numerous companies operating in the nuclear power industry are seeking collaboration opportunities with Kazakhstan. Representatives from South Korea recently held negotiations, while the Ministry of Energy is awaiting an invitation from their Chinese counterparts.
However, the determination of the construction timeline and the specific location of the nuclear power station, which were initially expected to be decided in the first half of 2023, are still pending.
"Unfortunately, we have not yet finalized the site and the timelines. Currently, we are dealing with public hearings and gathering input from the Maslikhat (local representative body) of the Almaty region, as required by legislation. It is possible that we still have some unresolved issues. We have a new minister now, and we are actively discussing and addressing these matters," the vice minister said.
Previously, it was noted that Kazakhstan plans to build two nuclear power plants with a capacity of up to 2.8 gigawatts.
