Kazakhstan has formalised plans to build its first nuclear power plant, with the signing the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract in Vladivostok during the 11th Eastern Economic Forum. The nuclear power plant will be built near the village of Ulken in the Zhambyl district on the western shore of Lake Balkhash, about 400 kilometres from Almaty. It will consist of two Russian-designed VVER-1200 reactors with a combined capacity of around 2.4 GWe – equivalent to about 9% of Kazakhstan’s current installed generating capacity.
The contract was signed by Rosatom First Deputy General Director for Nuclear Energy and President of Atomstroyexport Andrey Petrov, and Ernat Berdigulov the Director General of Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants, the state-owned company established to implement nuclear projects. The signing took place in the presence of the Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev and the Chairman of the Kazakhstan Atomic Energy Agency, Almasadam Satkaliev. Rosatom, as the leader of the international construction consortium, will be responsible for the entire cycle of work on the project: from design and procurement to construction, commissioning and delivery of the finished facility to the customer.
Satkaliyev said after the signing that Rosatom is expected to obtain the necessary site license in 2027, allowing construction to begin. He had previously identified 2034 as the target for bringing the first unit online, while the full construction cycle is expected to take about a decade.
Likhachev said the contract “marks a new stage in our cooperation with Kazakhstan” He added: “In the near future Rosatom will have to carry out design work and create an international consortium of equipment supplier companies. At the same time, at all stages of the project, we clearly adhere to the main task: to build and put into operation power units that meet the most stringent international requirements for safety and efficiency. We are convinced that Russian nuclear technologies will become a reliable basis for energy independence and sustainable development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.”
Site preparation began in the summer of 2025. Specialists started engineering surveys and drilling wells to study the site’s suitability for the plant. Specialists, having drilled more than 60 wells up to 120 metres deep, extracted the samples necessary for analysis, and are checking the materials in laboratory conditions to select the optimal location for power units. In 2027, this work will be completed, and engineers will begin preparing documentation that will allow them to obtain permits to begin construction of power units.
Kazakhstan is returning to nuclear power generation after more than a quarter of a century. The Soviet-built BN-350 sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor in Aktau, which supplied electricity and district heating and supported large-scale seawater desalination, ceased operations in 1999. Kazakhstan has had no operating nuclear power reactors since then.
In October 2024, the construction of a new NPP was put to a nationwide referendum, with a majority of participating voters supporting the proposal. In June 2025, Kazakhstan selected Rosatom to lead the international consortium for the project. The Russian proposal ranked first among four options considered, alongside bids from China’s CNNC, France’s EDF, and South Korea’s KHNP.
In May as part of the state visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kazakhstan, an inter-governmental agreement was concluded setting out the main parameters of the nuclear power plant construction project and key areas of cooperation during the period of operation of the nuclear power plant, including maintenance and fuel supplies.
The preliminary cost of the plant is estimated at around $16.4bn of which approximately $14.4bn is expected to cover the two generating units, with another roughly $2bn allocated for infrastructure, physical protection systems, and fuel for the warranty period. Most of the project is expected to be financed through a Russian state export loan. The detailed financing terms have not yet been made public.
Kazakhstan is also allocating its own funds. The draft national budget for 2027-2029 earmarks KZT818.3bn ($1.7bn) to increase the capital of Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants. Of that amount, KZT247.9bn is planned for 2027, KZT303.1bn for 2028, and KZT267.3bn for 2029.
The implementation of the nuclear power plant project is of strategic importance for Kazakhstan, according to the government website. “Against the backdrop of economic growth, industry, infrastructure, digitalisation and the development of artificial intelligence, Kazakhstan’s need for reliable and sustainable electricity will consistently increase. Nuclear energy will provide stable base generation for decades to come.”
At the same time, the implementation of the project will create additional opportunities for the development of domestic industry, the introduction of advanced technologies and the training of highly qualified personnel. The importance of localisation was stressed.
“During the implementation of the project for the construction of the first nuclear power plant, special attention will be paid to localisation – the maximum involvement of Kazakh enterprises, specialists, goods, works and services. The construction of the first nuclear power plant should become an incentive for the development of domestic industry, the development of new industries and technologies, as well as the formation of national competencies for the further development of nuclear energy.”
The government said the implementation of the project will create a long-term basis for sustainable economic growth and will become one of the key stages in the formation of the modern nuclear industry in Kazakhstan. “The construction of nuclear power plants is an important part of Kazakhstan’s long-term course to strengthen energy security and independence, develop industrial and technological potential, form a personnel reserve and strengthen the country’s technological sovereignty.”
For its next nuclear project, Kazakhstan is looking to cooperate with China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), China’s state-owned nuclear corporation. CNNC has been selected to lead development of Kazakhstan’s second nuclear power plant, while preparations for a third plant are also underway.
