Nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan

ByTuralHeybatov

Thetopicofenergytransitionisoneofthemostcomplex,especiallyforcountrieswithlimitedrenewableenergyresources.CentralAsiaisoneofthoseregions.Instrivingfordecarbonization,thecountriesofCentralAsiariskfacingseriouschallengesthattheywillhavetosolveontheirown,withouttheassistanceofgreentransitionactivists.Thisprocessisextremelycostly,andeachcountrymustfinditsownwaytoimplementit.

InOctober,Kazakhstanwillholdareferendumontheconstructionofthecountry’sfirstnuclearpowerplant.PresidentKassym-JomartTokayevannouncedinhistraditionalAddresstotheNationthatthereferendumisscheduledforOctober6.Tokayevexplainedtheneedfornuclearenergyduetotheglobalenergydeficitandthecountry'sdemandforreliableandcleanenergysources.

DiscussionsabouttheconstructionofanuclearpowerplantinKazakhstanbeganlastyear,notasrumorsorinsiderinformation.TheMinistryofEnergyannouncedthatthreepotentialsiteshadbeenselectedfortheplant,andtherewerecandidatesfortheproject.TheseincludeChina’sCNNC,SouthKorea’sKHNP,France’sEDF,andRussia’sRosatom.IfthereferendumapprovestheconstructionofKazakhstan'sfirstnuclearpowerplant,thegovernmentplanstoallocate$10-12billionfortheproject,withmostofthefundstobesecuredasloans.

However,suchasignificantdecisioncannotbemadewithoutthepeople'sapproval.Publicandexpertopinionsaredivided.Opponentsofnuclearenergyarguethatanuclearpowerplantposesaseriousthreattothecountry.TheconstructionofaplantnearLakeBalkhashcouldnegativelyaffecttheecologyofthisuniquebodyofwater,andintheeventofanaccident,theentirecountrycouldbeatriskduetothewindpatternsintheregion.

Meanwhile,theideaofplacingtheplantnearLakeBalkhashwasconsideredbackinSoviettimes,andtodaythisoptionhasbeenapprovedbyinternationalorganizations.Inthefallof2023,IAEAexpertsonceagainconfirmedthattherearenofactorspreventingtheconstructionofanuclearpowerplantnearthelake.Proponentsoftheprojectarguethattheprobabilityofanaccidentatamodernnuclearpowerplantislessthanonein10millionyears.Incontrast,theriskatcoal-firedplantsis80timeshigher.Modernnuclearpowerplantshaveprotectivecontainmentstructuresthatpreventradiationleaks.

However,theseargumentsdonotconvinceopponentsofnuclearpower.TheyrecalltheFukushimadisasterinJapan,wheretheaftermathofthe2011accidentisstillbeingfelt.In2023,theFukushimaplantcontinuedtoexperienceproblems,includingradioactivewaterleaksandmalfunctionsinthespentfuelcoolingsystem.DisastersatThreeMileIslandin1979andChernobylin1986alsoremainvividexamples,whichledsomecountriestoabandonnuclearenergy.

Despitethecriticism,expertsbelievethatKazakhstancannotdowithoutanuclearpowerplant.Recently,PrimeMinisterOlzhasBektenovstatedthatthecountryneedsanewprimaryenergygenerator.Ifthereferendumsupportstheconstructionofanuclearpowerplant,itwillbeacrucialstepforthedevelopmentofindustryandensuringthecountry’senergyneeds.

In2021,Kazakhstanfacedasignificantelectricitydeficit,which,accordingtotheMinistryofEnergy,couldreach5.5billionkWhby2029.However,inSeptember2024,somethingunexpectedhappened:thedeficitwastemporarilyovercome.Electricityproductionexceededconsumption,raisingquestionsabouttheneedforanuclearpowerplant.

Nonetheless,oneday'sdatacannotbegroundsforcancelingthereferendum.TheKazakhgovernmentremainsdeterminedandexpectsapositiveoutcomefromthepeople.Ifapproved,thenuclearpowerplantwillbebuiltby2035inthevillageofUlken,ontheshoresofLakeBalkhash,withacapacityof2.4GW(twounitsof1.2GWeach).

Morethan50countriesworldwidecurrentlyusenuclearenergy,andKazakhstanmaysoonjointhem.However,thecountryshouldbepreparedforpotentialdelaysandcostoverruns,ashasoftenbeenthecaseinthehistoryofnuclearenergyprojects.Examplesshowthatthelaunchofnewreactorscantakedecades.

Let’shopeKazakhstanavoidssuchproblems.

News.Az

Nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan – pros and cons

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