"Considering national interests": The Ministry of Energy explained how they will select a contractor for the nuclear power plant.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Energy, Kazakhstan has completed a competitive dialogue with potential technology suppliers for the construction of a nuclear power plant.

"The state corporation 'Rosatom' has made it to the shortlist of potential technology suppliers for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, alongside the Korean company KHNP, the Chinese CNNC, and the French EDF," the statement reads.

As reported by the agency, on January 21, a Kazakh delegation led by the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almasadam Satkaliyev, made a working visit to the Russian Federation. This visit marked the final stage of a series of negotiations aimed at evaluating proposals from tender participants.

Additionally, similar visits took place from October to December 2024 to the Republic of Korea, the French Republic, and the People's Republic of China.

"A final decision on the selection of a supplier or consortium for the project has not yet been made. It will be made in 2025, taking into account the national interests of Kazakhstan, as well as international norms and obligations," the Ministry of Energy summarized.

Recently, Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev discussed in the Mazhilis the principles that will guide the selection of vendors for the construction of the nuclear power plant.

It has also been revealed that the Ministry of Energy has been instructed to look for a site not only for the second but also for the third nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan. Almasadam Satkaliyev mentioned that a referendum will not be required for the construction of the second nuclear power plant.

Construction of a Nuclear Power Plant in Kazakhstan

In 2019, it became known that a nuclear power plant is planned to be built in the Almaty region. At the end of 2021, Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev confirmed that the nuclear station could be located in this particular settlement.

In November 2023, the Minister of Energy announced when the company that will construct the nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan will be selected. In December, the approximate amount planned for the construction of the first nuclear power plant in the country was revealed.

In June of this year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that a referendum would be held in Kazakhstan to decide whether to construct a nuclear power plant in the country.

The voting took place on October 6 of last year. Kazakhstani citizens were asked to answer one question: "Do you agree with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?" To express their position on this matter, citizens needed to check a box or mark next to one of two response options - "yes" or "no."

According to the Central Election Commission, the voter turnout was 63.87%, meaning that more than 7.8 million Kazakhstani citizens participated in the voting. The number of votes in favor of the positive decision was 71.12%, or 5,561,937 votes. The number of citizens who voted against was 2,045,271.