Russia will build the first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, the world's main uranium producer

Rosatom, the Russian giant in the energy sector, will lead the construction of the first atomic power plant in Kazakhstan, the largest uranium producer on the world, according to the announcement made on Saturday by Central Asia authorities, AFP reports.

“Rosatom was appointed the leader of the International Consortium for the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan,” the Nuclear Energy Agency of the former Soviet Republic announced in a statement.

Kazakhstan, a vast and rich country in Central Asia, is currently the world's largest uranium producer, providing 43% of the offer.

However, it does not produce enough electricity to meet the requirement of internal consumption.

The new nuclear power plant, whose construction was approved by a referendum organized in 2024, will be erected near Ulken, a half-abandoned village, near Lake Balkhash.

The lake located in southeast Kazakhstan is the second largest in the country.

Offers from China, France and South Korea

The China's national nuclear, France and Hydro and Nuclear Power nuclear corporation in South Korea have submitted all offers to build the boiler.

In the announcement on Saturday, Kazakhstan authorities said that these companies will be included in the consortium led by Rosatom of Russia, but have not provided other details.

Observers argue that the idea of ​​consortium is a way in which the authorities can maintain good relationships with all the countries involved, but that it is unlikely to materialize, and Rosatom will get to build the power station alone.

President Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, sought to maintain good relationships with both the former colonial power Russia and China, which borders with the country to the East and finances major infrastructure projects in the region.

Rosatom has proposed the financing of the project, and now the details will begin to develop, the statement said.

The announcement comes a few days before the visit of Chinese leader Xi Jinping to Kazakhstan for a “Central China-Asia” summit.

Kazakhstan had nuclear power plants when it was part of the Soviet Union, besides hosting Soviet nuclear weapons. It was also the place of Soviet nuclear tests.

After the disintegration of the USSR in 1991, the new country gave up its nuclear weapons, along with other former Soviet states, Belarus and Ukraine, and in the coming years it has decommissioned its nuclear power stations.