Kazakhstan brings U.S. and Japan companies back to list of potential vendors for its nuclear plant

The Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan is once again reviewing small modular reactors of U.S. and Japanese design as options for the future Kazakhstani nuclear power plant, according to Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev. In 2022, the ministry removed them from the official list of nuclear technology vendors, citing a lack of international practice of using these reactors. As the minister noted, the government will be ready to start the bidding process for its nuclear power plant once all potential vendors file their applications.

«So far, Korea, Russia, China and France have been qualified. However, this is not a complete list and we are reviewing additional options, the construction of small modular reactors for example. There are several countries we can be partnering with in like the U.S., Japan and Russia,» Satkaliyev said during a media briefing.

The context. In June 2022, the Ministry of Energy reported that it reviewed technologies from six international suppliers: NuScale Power (the U.S.), GE-Hitachi (the U.S. and Japan), KHNP (South Korea), CNNC (China), Rosatom (Russia) and EDF (France).

During that reviewing process, the agency removed American and Japanese companies, as the small modular reactors they proposed – NuScale Power (77 megawatts) and BWRX-300 (300 megawatts) – had no record of safe exploitation anywhere on Earth.

Rosatom is proposing its VVER-1200 and VVER-1000 reactors for the future nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, CNNC its HPR-1000 reactor, KHNP – APR-1400 and EDF – EPR1200.

Earlier this year, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Russia Dauren Abayev said that a referendum on a nuclear plant may occur in Kazakhstan by the end of this year.