On Friday August 8, Kazakhstan and Russia officially began the construction of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant (NPP). The ceremony, attended by Alexey Likhachev, CEO of the Russian state corporation Rosatom, and Almasadam Satkaliyev, head of the Kazakhstan Atomic Energy Agency, took place in the village of Ulken, located in the Zhambyl district of Almaty Region, as reported by Rosatom's press service.
Specialists from Rosatom have begun drilling the first exploratory well and collecting soil samples. These studies will assess seismic stability, hydrogeological characteristics, and other parameters of the site, which are essential for ensuring the reliability and safety of the future nuclear station.
As part of the feasibility studies, at least 50 wells will be drilled, ranging in depth from 30 to 120 meters. Based on the collected data, a final decision will be made regarding the precise location of the NPP.
"The start of engineering surveys in Ulken is the beginning of the journey toward Kazakhstan's first large-capacity nuclear power plant in modern history. At this stage, we are focusing on thoroughly studying the site to ensure its suitability for the future nuclear station. Rosatom is ready to apply all of its accumulated experience to implement this strategically important project for Kazakhstan’s development," said Alexey Likhachev.
He added that the project involves the delivery of a VVER-1200 reactor (pressurized water reactor with an electrical capacity of 1200 MW) from Russia.
On June 14, Kazakhstan’s authorities announced that Rosatom had been selected as the leader of the consortium to build the plant due to its most optimal proposal.
In 2024, a referendum was held in Kazakhstan regarding the construction of a nuclear power plant, and the majority of voters supported the initiative. Preliminary estimates suggest the cost of the NPP will be between US$14 billion-US15 billion.
Founded in 1984, the village of Ulken is located approximately 340 kilometers from Almaty, on the shores of Lake Balkhash, which will be used for cooling the plant’s reactors.
