Kazakhstan and Russia signed a contract for the design, supply, and construction of the country's first nuclear power plant, according to officials at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Wednesday.
The agreement was signed by Kazakhstan's Atomic Energy Agency head Almasadam Satkalieyev and Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev. The contracting parties are Kazakhstan Atomic Electric Stations and Atombudexport, a subsidiary of Rosatom.
The nuclear station, named Balkhash, will be built near Ulken village in the Zhambyl district of Almaty region on the shore of Lake Balkhash. The facility will consist of two reactor units with a combined electrical capacity of 2,400 megawatts.
Kazakhstan's Atomic Energy Agency stated that the project is moving into a "practical phase." Construction work is scheduled to begin in 2027. The budget allocated for the first nuclear power plant exceeds 818 billion tenge, approximately 1.7 billion dollars.
Likhachev described the contract signing as a new stage of cooperation between Rosatom and Kazakhstan. He said the corporation will begin design work in the near term and plans to form an international consortium comprising equipment suppliers for the future station. Likhachev emphasized that one of the main tasks will be constructing and subsequently commissioning reactor units that meet strict international requirements for safety and efficiency.
The agreement follows a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kazakhstan in late May, during which the two governments signed an accord on conditions for cooperation on the Balkhash nuclear power plant project and an agreement providing Kazakhstan with a state export credit for its construction.