Kazakhstan's first nuclear plant to cost $16.4 billion - officialKazakhstan's first nuclear power plant, Balkhash, will cost an estimated $16.4 billion, the head of the country's atomic energy agency said Thursday, with the bulk of the funding to be covered by a Russian export credit."Approximately $14.4 billion would go toward construction of the two reactor units, with another $2 billion allocated for infrastructure, security systems and fuel for the warranty period. The total project cost stands at about $16.4 billion," Almasadam Satkaliyev, chairman of Kazakhstan's Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters."The project will be financed through an export credit from Russia," Satkaliyev said on the sidelines of a signing ceremony at the Palace of Independence in Astana.The comments came as Russia and Kazakhstan exchanged intergovernmental agreements setting out the principles of cooperation on the nuclear project and the terms of the Russian loan.Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said the Russian credit would cover "the greater part" of the capital investment, though not the entire amount. "A portion will remain with the Kazakh side," he said.Likhachev said Rosatom expects to begin setting up the construction and assembly base next year, with active construction starting in 2027. Technical documentation for licensing will be prepared in parallel."We will do everything to bring the plant online by the mid-2030s," he said, adding that the two units would be commissioned in stages, eight to ten months apart.He said Rosatom sees no obstacles to involving other countries in the project, noting that Kazakhstan has held talks with suppliers from China, France and South Korea. Some of those companies are already working on Rosatom projects in Egypt, Turkey and Hungary.As for a second nuclear plant, Likhachev said Kazakhstan has yet to formally communicate its plans. "As soon as we receive that information, we will immediately begin practical negotiations," he said.Rosatom signed a roadmap with Kazakhstan in 2025 to build two VVER-1200 reactor units and was named leader of the consortium implementing the project. Survey work began at the site near the village of Ulken on Lake Balkhash in August 2025. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX