Astana (TDI): The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has approved a site near Kurchatov in Kazakhstan’s Abai region for the possible construction of a nuclear power plant, Energy Minister and National Atomic Company Chairman Almasadam Satkaliyev told parliament this week.
The approval follows Kazakhstan’s 2023 referendum on nuclear energy, where more than 71 percent of voters backed the development of nuclear power. Soon after, the government selected Russia’s Rosatom to build the country’s first nuclear plant in the Almaty region. Construction is already underway near the village of Ulken on Lake Balkhash, about 400 kilometers from Almaty.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has outlined plans for a network of two to three nuclear plants nationwide. While Rosatom is leading the Balkhash project, China’s National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has been tapped to build two more facilities, though their locations remain undecided. Sites under review include Kurchatov, which borders the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test ground, and the Mangystau region along the Caspian Sea coast.
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Satkaliyev stressed that despite IAEA approval, no construction will move forward without broad public consultation. “We have a very transparent process: mandatory hearings, reviews by the Ministry of Emergency Situations and other agencies, full site surveys, and international assessments. Without the consent of the local population, construction will not begin anywhere in Kazakhstan,” he said.
He added that Kurchatov could host small or medium modular reactors, which he described as “not as critically dangerous.” The Caspian site also remains under consideration, with feasibility studies set to examine seismic risks, water availability, and overall safety standards.
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Separately, the Zhambyl district in southern Almaty region has been identified as another potential location. A second plant in the south, Satkaliyev noted, would help offset the area’s energy deficit and reduce reliance on power transmitted via the North-South line.
Tokayev has also announced plans to create “nuclear science cities” in Almaty and Kurchatov to support nuclear energy research and expand applications in nuclear medicine.
