BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 22. Kazakhstan and the UK discussed prospects for cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy during a meeting between Agency of Kazakhstan for Atomic Energy, Deputy Chairman Timur Zhantikin and Lord John Alderdice, the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for Central Asia, the agency said.
“The meeting discussed current issues and prospects for developing Kazakhstan-UK cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy,” the agency said.
The Kazakh side briefed the British official on Kazakhstan’s priorities for developing its nuclear energy sector, including prospects for deploying small modular reactors (SMRs) and expanding nuclear power generation.
Following the meeting, the sides confirmed their mutual interest in continuing constructive dialogue and further developing cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Kazakhstan is also moving forward with plans to build its first nuclear power plant near Lake Balkhash, in the village of Ulken in the Almaty region. Russia’s Rosatom has been selected as the lead contractor for the project.
Preliminary work for the Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant project began in Ulken on August 8, 2025. The work includes engineering surveys to select the optimal site and prepare design documentation for the large-scale nuclear power plant. More than 90% of field engineering surveys had been completed as of May 2026.
In September 2026, on the sidelines of the 11th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Kazakhstan signed a contract with Rosatom for the engineering, procurement and construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant. The signing of the Contract marked the transition of the project to build the first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan to a new, practical stage.
Under an intergovernmental agreement signed on May 28, 2026, the parties will continue the required procedures, including obtaining the necessary approval from the Kazakh government.
