The green light has been given

Green light given

Kazakhstan has taken another practical step towards establishing its own nuclear power industry. In Vladivostok, within the framework of the XI Eastern Economic Forum, a contract was signed for the design, supply, and construction of the country's first nuclear power plant.

The document was concluded between Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants LLP and Atomstroyexport JSC, a subsidiary of the Russian state corporation Rosatom. The signing took place in the presence of Almasadam Satkaliyev, Chairman of the Republic of Kazakhstan's Atomic Energy Agency, and Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom.

Rosatom will head an international consortium and will be responsible for the project's implementation at virtually all stages. Its duties will include project development, supply of the necessary equipment, construction of the plant, commissioning works, and handing over the completed facility to the Kazakh side.

The Atomic Energy Agency of Kazakhstan emphasized that the signing of the contract moves the project from the preparation stage to practical implementation. At the same time, the parties are to continue the prescribed procedures in accordance with the intergovernmental agreement of May 28, 2026, including approvals with the government of Kazakhstan.

"We are talking about a strategic energy project for Kazakhstan. The country's demand for electricity is consistently growing against the backdrop of economic and industrial production expansion, infrastructure development, digitalization, and the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies," the agency explained. Nuclear generation is viewed as a tool to ensure stable electricity production over the long term.

"Within the framework of the project, special attention is planned to be paid to the development of domestic industry and localization. The maximum involvement of Kazakh enterprises, specialists, goods, works, and services is considered one of the key tasks in the construction of the first NPP," the AEA emphasized. The project is expected to help master new production processes and technologies, as well as train specialists for the nuclear industry of Kazakhstan.

The transition to the contract stage was a continuation of the work that has been underway for several years. In June 2025, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Atomic Energy Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Rosatom approved an indicative roadmap for the project, which envisaged conducting engineering survey works and concluding an EPC contract. A framework agreement was also signed at that time, defining the main principles of cooperation on the project in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region.

The next stage was the intergovernmental agreement between Kazakhstan and Russia, concluded on May 28, 2026. The document provides for the construction of a Russian-designed plant with two power units based on VVER-1200 reactors. Their design service life is 60 years, with the possibility of extension for another two decades.

Work at the site of the future plant began on August 8, 2025, in the area of the village of Ulken in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region. As of May 2026, more than 90% of the field engineering surveys had been completed.

For Kazakhstan, the project is important not only from the perspective of increasing generating capacity. The authorities link the development of nuclear energy with the long-term strengthening of energy security, technological potential, and the country's independence.

One of the key conditions for the project's implementation remains the participation of Kazakh business. Localization is expected to ensure the utilization of domestic enterprises, the development of new production competencies, and personnel training.

It should be noted that the process of creating the nuclear power industry in Kazakhstan — from decision-making to the start of construction — took half as much time as similar actions took to develop in Uzbekistan. As a reminder, talks about the possible appearance of an NPP in the republic began back in 2018.