Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for the acceleration of nuclear power plant construction in Kazakhstan. According to Tokayev, the country may build two or three large nuclear stations to advance its nuclear energy sector.
“We are currently focused on major infrastructure projects, digitalization, artificial intelligence, and nuclear energy. These are the key strategic areas for the development of our country. The government must prioritize these critical issues in its work,” the president emphasized.
Tokayev also discussed the future of nuclear energy in Kazakhstan, noting the need for faster progress.
“Regarding the construction of nuclear power plants — we need to speed up. As I mentioned in an interview, we plan to build two large plants, possibly three. We must transform Kazakhstan into a country with a developed nuclear energy sector, a nation where artificial intelligence functions and digitalization is fully implemented,” he concluded.
On October 6, 2023, Kazakhstan held a referendum on the construction of nuclear power plants in the Almaty region. Tokayev had stated that, should the public approve, the construction would be undertaken by an international consortium of companies.
The referendum results showed that 71.12% of Kazakh citizens voted in favor of nuclear plant construction. The Ministry of National Economy announced that the state would not fund the project. Instead, the government is considering project financing, with funds potentially provided by a consortium of international financial institutions. The state would repay this loan not from the national budget, but from the revenue generated by the nuclear plants.
Kazakhstan is currently considering four companies as potential suppliers of nuclear technology: CNNC (China), Rosatom (Russia), KHNP (South Korea), and EDF (France).
