On August 8, in Ulken village, Almaty province, Kazakhstan and Russia officially started construction of the first nuclear power plant in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The event was attended by General Director of Russian nuclear energy Corporation Rosatom - Mr. Alexey Likhachev, and Chairman of the Kazakhstan Nuclear Energy Agency - Mr. Almasadam Satkaliyev.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Likhachev affirmed: "We are starting to deploy practical work to build a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan. Rosatom is proposing to build a truly, best-selling core product in the nuclear technology market. The project in Kazakhstan will be one of the top priorities of the state-owned corporation Rosatom".
The plant will use the VVER-1200 reactor, a new generation technology developed by Russia, meeting international safety standards. Mr. Likhachev emphasized that Rosatom is ready to turn this project into a model international cooperation project.
The initial phase focused on surveying, geological and technical research. At the groundbreaking ceremony, Kazakhstan presented the Rosatom representative with a "pocket" containing soil samples taken directly from the construction site for research.
On June 14, the Kazakhstan government announced Rosatom as the lead unit of the joint venture to build the plant, after making a proposal that was considered the most optimal.
In 2024, Kazakhstan held a national consultation on the construction of a nuclear power plant. The results showed that the majority of voters supported this plan, paving the way for a historic project.
Ulken village - where the factory is located - was established in 1984, in Zhambyl district, Almaty province, about 340km from Almaty city. This area is located on the shore of Balkhash Lake, where water will be used to cool the reactors.
Ulken currently has about 1,740 residents, promising to become Kazakhstan's new energy hub when the plant is completed.
According to observers, the project will not only help Kazakhstan diversify energy sources and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, but could also become a highlight of the global nuclear technology market.
Kazakhstan supplies 43% of the world's uranium and is the third largest supplier of raw uranium to the European Union (EU). However, the country is having difficulty producing enough electricity for domestic consumption needs.
