Rosatom ready to partner with Kazakhstani suppliers for NPP project
Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has held talks with CEO of Russia’s state-owned Rosatom Alexey Likhachev.
Likhachev reported that construction of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant began on Aug. 8 in the Almaty region. The sides discussed ensuring local content in goods and services, using domestic equipment and materials, hiring local specialists and exchanging experience.
«Issues of localizing nuclear fuel cycle processes were raised. Practical aspects of forming an international consortium that will unite leading Kazakhstani and foreign partners were also considered. The Russian side confirmed its readiness to cooperate with suppliers from Kazakhstan and other countries, ensuring the necessary level of cooperation in the construction of the nuclear power plant,» the cabinet said in a statement.
Bektenov emphasized that the project is under the president’s oversight, while the cabinet will provide all necessary support.
Rosatom has been named the lead contractor of an international consortium to build Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant on the shores of Lake Balkhash. The facility will consist of two units with a total capacity of 2.4 gigawatts — enough to power several large cities. The plant is scheduled to begin operations between 2035 and 2036, with a minimum estimated cost of $14 billion.
Earlier, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Likhachev stated that Rosatom would build «the world’s best NPPs» in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Construction of the NPP began on Aug. 8 in the village of Ulken in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region. Before work started, Kazakhstanis were shown a scale model of the future plant. Rosatom’s CEO pledged that Ulken would become one of the most attractive places to live in Kazakhstan.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan has been negotiating with Russia over financing the project. Samruk-Kazyna also announced plans to transfer its nuclear subsidiary, Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants, to state ownership. In July, the company was placed under the trust management of the newly established Atomic Energy Agency.
