Kazakhstan to announce NPP construction vendor by June 2024

Kazakhstan will choose a potential vendor for its nuclear plant construction project by June 2025, Kazinform News Agency quotes Vice Minister of Energy Sungat Yessimkhanov as saying at the briefing in the Government.

According to him, a delegation of Kazakhstan led by the minister of energy has already visited the countries designated as potential vendors for the NPP construction.

“We have determined a list of questions to be set to the vendors. They are sending their feedbacks. By the end of the first half of the year, the results of this work will be summarized and preliminary results will be revealed. The potential vendor will be announced at the end of the first half of the year,” Sungat Yessimkhanov said.

As reported, four companies including CNNC, ICHNP, Rosatom and EDF representing four countries, namely, China, South Korea, Russia and France were shortlisted as technology suppliers for the NPP construction in Kazakhstan

On October 6, Kazakhstan held a nationwide a referendum on a nuclear power plant construction. 71.12% of voters (5,561,937 people) voted for the NPP construction, while 26.13% (2,045,271 people) voted against. The voter's turnout reached 63.66% or 7,820,204 people.

During the public hearings in Almaty, Director General of JSC Nuclear Power Plants of Kazakhstan Timur Zhantikin said that two locations – Kurchatov town and Ulken village – were inspected and recognized suitable for the NPP construction.