President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Energy Minister of Kazakhstan Almasadam Satkaliyev, instructing him to ensure that the utility system functions smoothly during the heating season and to take all necessary measures to accelerate the construction of a nuclear power plant (NPP), as reported by the president’s press service.
«The president debriefed the minister’s report on the key results of the ministry’s work during the year and its plans for the further development of the fuel and energy complex in Kazakhstan. The minister also provided a summary of the implementation of large projects in the oil, gas and energy industries. President Tokayev was also briefed about the course of the heating season and the situation at major heating and energy facilities,» the media statement reads.
As noted by the president’s press service, Tokayev instructed Satkaliyev to monitor the progress of the heating season and oversee the implementation of projects related to modernizing the energy infrastructure.
«The president emphasized that it is very important to accelerate the implementation of nuclear power plant construction projects in Kazakhstan,» Akorda stated.
The issue of NPP construction in the Almaty region was approved during a nationwide referendum on Oct. 6. At the time, Tokayev said that if the people supported the project, it must be realized through an international consortium. At the referendum, 71.12% of voters supported the idea of NPP construction.
The Ministry of Finance of Kazakhstan stated that the government would not fund the construction of the NPP directly, as the authorities aim for the project to be implemented using a project financing scheme. Kazakhstan expects a consortium of international financial institutions to provide funding for the project. The government plans to repay the loan not from the state budget but through revenue generated by the NPP.
There are four potential suppliers of nuclear technologies for Kazakhstan’s first NPP: CNNC (China), Rosatom (Russia), KHNP (South Korea) and EDF (France).
