China to build third nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan

China will construct the third nuclear power plant (NPP) in Kazakhstan, according to First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar.

«The third nuclear power plant will be built by China. Currently, our colleagues from the Agency for Atomic Energy and Nuclear Power Plants LLP are evaluating potential sites. A continuous water supply near the power plant is essential,» Sklyar stated.

He also said that the government plans to announce the chosen sites for the next two nuclear plants later this year.

The first nuclear power plant is planned to be built in the village of Ulken, located in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region. Russia’s Rosatom was selected as the main contractor. The decision was announced on June 14.

Meanwhile, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) was chosen to lead the consortium for the construction of the second plant. Experts have named the city of Kurchatov as a likely site for the project.

In June, during a press briefing, Sklyar suggested that the second, China-led project might advance faster than the one involving Rosatom.

That same month, Almassadam Satkaliyev, head of Kazakhstan’s Agency for Atomic Energy, revealed preliminary timelines and cost estimates for the first NPP.