The President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke in favor of building not one, but three nuclear power plants in the republic in order to form a nuclear cluster.
“It is strategically important for us to create a new energy industry that will provide a solid foundation for dynamic economic development for decades to come. That is why I consider it necessary to build not one, but three nuclear power plants and, ultimately, the formation of a full-fledged nuclear cluster“, the head of state said at a meeting of the National Kurultai. The president's words were quoted by his press service.
On October 6, 2024, a referendum was held in Kazakhstan on the possibility of building one nuclear power plant in the southern part of the republic. The construction of the plant in the republic was supported by 71.12% of voters.
Based on the results of research by the Ministry of Energy, the territory in the Almaty region near Lake Balkhash was selected as the most preferred area for the construction of a nuclear power plant. The Kazakh authorities are considering several possible suppliers of nuclear technology: the Chinese company CNNC, the South Korean KHNP, Rosatom and the French EDF. The government is currently studying the possibility of creating an international consortium to implement this project.