Tokayev reports progress on Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant projectPresident Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has reported progress on Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant that will be built jointly with Russia."I have been informed that fieldwork at the site near Lake Balkhash is nearly complete. This project is not just about generating a new source of energy for Kazakhstan. It is about bringing our countries closer — and most importantly, our peoples, especially the younger generation. We are talking about training technical personnel with Russia's help — local Kazakh specialists who will then be able to work in the very complex nuclear industry," Tokayev told Putin during their meeting in Omsk.The quotes were released by Tokayev's press service on Saturday evening.Russia and Kazakhstan had previously reached agreement on the terms of cooperation for the project, including the provision of a Russian export credit to finance it.The two sides exchanged intergovernmental agreements on the basic principles and terms of cooperation for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, as well as on the provision of a state export credit to finance its construction.Alexei Likhachev, head of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom, earlier explained that the Russian loan would cover a large portion of the capital investment. "But not all of it — part of the cost will be covered by the Kazakh side," he said.Likhachev said Rosatom expects to move into the active construction phase of the plant in Kazakhstan in 2027. The pace of work, he noted, would depend on the customer, while the project's main parameters would be set by Kazakhstan's government.According to Likhachev, Rosatom would do everything to ensure the plant begins operating by the mid-2030s. The facility would be brought online in stages, with an interval of 8 to 10 months between the first and second power units.In 2025, Rosatom signed a roadmap with Kazakhstan for the construction of two VVER-1200 nuclear power units. The Russian state corporation was also named the lead contractor in the consortium for the project. In August 2025, research work began at a site near the village of Ulken. The future plant has been named Balkhash. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX