Kazakhstan signals readiness to cooperate with China on its first NPP project
According to Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Energy Agency, Kazakhstan is ready to cooperate with China regarding the country’s first nuclear power plant (NPP) construction.
«Almassadam Satkaliyev, chair of Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Energy Agency, held talks with Dong Baotong, China’s vice minister of ecology and environment and head of the National Nuclear Safety Administration… The sides emphasized possible cooperation in NPP project implementation, development of the nuclear fuel cycle and enhancement of scientific and technical infrastructure. The Kazakh side expressed its interest in studying Chinese expertise in nuclear, water and environmental safety across all stages of NPP implementation,» the agency said in a statement.
Negotiations on expanding Kazakh-Chinese cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy took place in Astana. During the meeting, Satkaliyev informed the Chinese delegation of the formation of the Nuclear Energy Agency and the establishment of a new regulatory body responsible for the country’s nuclear safety — the Committee for Atomic and Energy Supervision and Control. According to the official, Kazakhstan aims to introduce international standards and best practices in environmental sustainability, nuclear safety and regulation.
So far, Kazakhstan has compiled a shortlist of potential nuclear technology vendors from leading international corporations, including China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) with its HPR-1000 reactor technology.
Earlier this month, Nabi Aitzhanov, CEO of Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC), announced that in order to ensure electricity distribution from the planned 2.4-gigawatt (GW) NPP in the village of Ulken in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region, Kazakhstan will need to construct new power transmission infrastructure.
The Energy Ministry previously stated that the country’s first NPP project could be financed through international export loans and/or loans from international financial organizations. A vendor is expected to be selected through a bidding process by the end of June.
Kazakhstan is currently evaluating four potential technology providers for its NPP project: CNNC (China, HPR-1000 reactor), Rosatom (Russia, VVER-1200, VVER-1000 reactors), KHNP (South Korea, APR-1400 reactor) and EDF (France, EPR1200 reactor).
Kazakhstan initially planned to begin construction of its first NPP in 2022. However, the project was postponed until 2023, when President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed that the decision be made through a national referendum. The vote was held on Oct. 6, 2024, with 71.12% of voters supporting the NPP project.
In late 2024, Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar warned that the estimated construction costs for the NPP could increase by as much as 1.5 times due to rising prices for materials and services. He noted that early cost estimates are typically based on current prices at the time of design, which can become outdated as the project progresses. Initially, more than a year ago, the Ministry of Energy estimated the plant’s cost (two 1.2 GW reactors totaling 2.4 GW) at $10 billion. Since then, experts and government officials have revised the estimate upward to $11 billion, $12 billion and even $15 billion.
In August 2024, Li Yudong, deputy head of the CNNC office for Central and Eastern Europe, told Kursiv.media that a 1.2-GW NPP in Kazakhstan would cost around 20 billion yuan (about $2.8 billion) and take five years to build. Based on that estimate, constructing a 2.4 GW facility planned for commissioning by 2035 would cost approximately $5.47 billion if a Chinese contractor is selected.
