Kazakhstan officially confirms construction site for its first NPP

Kazakhstan’s government has officially chosen a construction site in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region for the country’s first nuclear power plant (NPP).

The relevant decree, signed by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, has been published on the legal acts database.

«To designate the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region as the construction area for the Nuclear Power Plant. This decree shall take effect on the date of its official publication,» the document said.

On Oct. 6, 2024, Kazakhstan hosted a national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant. At the time, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that the plant should be built by a consortium of international companies.

Over 70% of Kazakhstanis (5,561,937) eligible to vote said «yes,» while 2,045,271 people (28.88%) voted against the initiative.

The Ministry of Energy told Kursiv.media that the construction of the first 2.4-gigawatt NPP may be financed at the expense of foreign credits or loans from international financial institutions.

However, in late 2023, Yernat Berdigulov, managing director for strategy and asset management at Samruk-Kazyna, told Kursiv.media that the state holding was considering two financing options for the construction: using its own funds or using money from the National Fund.