Referendum on NPP construction in Kazakhstan due in fall 2024 - Tokayev

ASTANA. June 27 (Interfax) - A referendum on building a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan is due to take place in fall 2024, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.

"The country has vast potential for developing the nuclear energy sector. It is important to use it in a correct and effective way. The people will have the final say. The referendum will be held in fall. The government will set the exact date," Tokayev said at an awards ceremony for media personnel on Thursday.

Economic development is impossible without a stable power supply, and building a nuclear power plant is being considered for this purpose, he said.

"A broad discussion is now taking place, various viewpoints are being stated. The media should also become actively involved in this process," Tokayev told reporters.

The Energy Ministry previously also said a referendum might be conducted in the fall.

The president suggested holding a national referendum on building a nuclear power plant in the country in his annual address to the people of Kazakhstan on September 1.

Kazakhstan, which is one of the world's largest uranium producers, should have its own means of generating nuclear power, he said.

According to earlier reports, the Kazakh public demands a referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant. Nuclear industry experts and the population support it overall, but some public figures and environmental activists are against it.

The territory of the village of Ulken, in the Almaty region, was selected as the most preferable site for constructing a nuclear power plant based on research. Water from Lake Balkhash will be used for cooling the plant. Some experts say the plant should have small reactors. They believe there will not be enough water for a larger reactor if water levels in Lake Balkhash decrease.

Kazakhstan is now considering technologies for largest-capacity reactors from four suppliers - from France, China, Russia, and South Korea.

The project to build a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan is expected to be implemented by an international pool of investors. According to the Energy Ministry, the work may take up to ten years and the average cost of one power unit will be $5 billion.