Kazakhstan breaks ground on first modern nuclear power plant

By&nbspGaliya Khassenkhanova

Published on 20/08/2025 - 14:13 GMT+2

Kazakhstan has taken nan first measurement towards building its first modern atomic powerfulness plant, launching engineering surveys successful nan colony of Ulken successful Almaty region.

Earlier successful August, Kazakhstan’s Agency for Atomic Energy and Russia's Rosatom held a ceremonial to people an charismatic commencement to nan atomic powerfulness works construction, which began pinch ungraded exploration.

“This task is simply a strategical prime for Kazakhstan, a driver of semipermanent economical maturation for nan region and nan state arsenic a whole,” said Agency for Atomic Energy Chair Almasadam Satkalityev.

He highlighted that nan task would create jobs and modern infrastructure for this distant village, pinch astir $1 cardinal (€860 million) earmarked for schools, hospitals and different societal accommodation alongside nan estimated $14–15 cardinal (€12-13 billion) costs of nan works itself.

“The commencement of engineering surveys successful Ulken is nan first measurement towards nan first large-capacity atomic powerfulness works successful modern Kazakhstan,” said Director General of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev.

“At this stage, we are focusing our efforts connected a thorough study of nan tract to beryllium perfectly judge of its suitability for nan early atomic powerfulness plant.”

Power works building captious to hole power deficit

The exploration activity involves drilling trial boreholes and analysing ungraded samples to find nan site’s seismic stableness and biology suitability.

This shape of exploration will impact drilling astatine slightest 50 wells, 30-120 meters deep.

These studies, which will past for 18 months, will guideline nan last determination connected nan plant’s nonstop location.

The early installation will usage Russia’s VVER-1200 reactor design, a Generation 3+ pressurised h2o reactor already successful cognition successful countries for illustration Belarus, Turkey and China.

Each reactor has a capacity of 1,200 MW and a lifespan of 60 years, which tin beryllium extended for different 2 decades.

In June, Kazakhstan announced that Rosatom would lead nan consortium connected building nan first atomic powerfulness plant, while Chinese CNNC was chosen to lead building connected nan 2nd one.

The building of nan powerfulness plants is captious for Kazakhstan arsenic it is expected to replenish nan increasing power shortage successful nan country.

In 2024, nan shortage stood astatine 2 cardinal kWh, which is capable to powerfulness astir 500,000 households.