Germany’s NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services GmbH has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Kazakh Atomic Energy Agency to provide consulting services on decommissioning and radioactive waste management. By bringing proven know-how in decommissioning and waste management, and by acting as a trusted Owner’s Engineer, NUKEM will provide full-cycle Technical Consulting Services, project optimisation, and international best practices in safety, remediation, and regulatory compliance.
The MOU was signed in Astana by NUKEM President Thomas Seipolt and Gumar Sergazin, Deputy Chairman of Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency. It followed a high-level meeting to explore new perspectives for cooperation between Kazakhstan’s leading nuclear institutions and NUKEM.
Representatives from all major nuclear organisations in Kazakhstan joined the discussions, including the Kazakh Atomic Energy Agency, the National Nuclear Centre, the Institute of Nuclear Physics, the Mangistau Atomic Energy Complex, and NAC Kazatomprom. Following a presentation of NUKEM’s capabilities relevant to Kazakhstan’s nuclear programme, potential areas of cooperation were discussed, including site restoration, waste treatment, and specialised engineering services.
Thomas Seipolt, President of NUKEM, stated: “NUKEM is proud to serve the visionary nuclear programme in Kazakhstan by its worldwide recognised capabilities in back-end technologies as well as its ability to integrate international experts in high-performance teams working efficiently in challenging environments. We are looking forward to working hand-in-glove with local experts to build an important part of Kazakhstan’s future infrastructure.”
NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services GmbH in Karlstein am Main, Germany, is active worldwide in management of radioactive waste and used fuel, decommissioning of nuclear facilities, engineering and consulting. For more than 60 years NUKEM has provided high quality products, technologies and services.
In October 2024 NUKEM finalised its acquisition by Tokyo-based Muroosystems Corp. Muroosystems acquired the company from the insolvency administrator of NUKEM’s previous German parent, NUKEM Technologies GmbH, then part of Russia’s TVEL. The decision to sell NUKEM was made in 2022 due to the challenging geopolitical landscape and the complexities of operating under Russian ownership.
NUKEM was established in 2006 as a subsidiary of NUKEM Energy. In December 2009, NUKEM Technologies was sold to Atomstroyexport (part of Rosatom) and was transferred in 2019 to Rosatom fuel company TVEL.
Kazakhstan has embarked on a nuclear power programme to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, diversify its energy mix and reduce CO2 emissions. The government’s target is for nuclear to produce a 5% share of the national generation mix by 2035. In June, Rosatom was selected as the leader of an international consortium to build Kazakhstan’s first NPP, with China reportedly expected to build a second and third plant.
