Almaty holds public hearings on potential construction of nuclear power plant in the country
During public hearings held in Almaty, deputy director of the nuclear energy and industry department Gulmira Murssalova spoke in favor of the construction of a nuclear power plant in the country, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Presently, 70% of the country’s electricity is generated at coal-fired power plants, that have the level of wear and tear exceeding 70%, Murssalova said in her speech.
She went on to add that electricity consumption is growing in the country, prompting the energy ministry to come up with an action plan to promote the electricity sector by commissioning around 26 GW of new power generating facilities in a step to cover shortages and boost export potential.
The project pursues the construction of wind and solar power stations as well as gas-fired power stations. Major projects are slated for implementation in Shymkent, Turkestan, Almaty and Mangistau regions. We also seek to modernize coal-fired power stations, however major international organizations refuse to finance the construction of new coal stations due to their high emission levels. That’s the reason why the construction of a nuclear power plant is under consideration, which is a sustainable green energy source. However, the final decision on construction of a nuclear power plant will be made after a referendum, said Murssalova.
She pointed out that the energy sector accounts for 80% of the country’s total carbon emissions, which could be brough down to 70 million tons through building green energy stations.
Murssalova said that the country observes progressive growth of the renewable energy sector, which accounted for 6% of the country’s total electricity generation in 2023 and 6.5% in six months of this year.
Renewable energy is deemed unstable, as we lose access to electricity due to absence of wind and sunlight. Our country has the capacity factor of wind power stations at 35-40%, and solar stations at 18%, while that of major nuclear power stations reaches 90%, she said.
Murssalova pointed out that nuclear generation is a stable source of energy, ensuring round-the-clock electricity production. Presently, there are 416 nuclear reactors, mostly located in the US and France, in the world.
