Kazakhstan wants first power unit of NPP completed within eight years from start of construction

ASTANA. Jan 29 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan will set the task for vendors to construct the first power unit of the nuclear power plant within eight years, Kazakh Energy Minister Almassadam Satkaliyev said.

"Constructing the first power unit of the NPP requires about 10-12 years absent any significant risks. However, we understand that technology does not stand still, and there is experience in replicating certain nuclear technologies. Even based on the average global deadlines, we will raise the matter with official vendors regarding possibly accelerating the deadlines, so that we could receive the first power unit within eight years, up to eight years," Satkaliyev said on Wednesday at a briefing in Astana.

Satkaliyev the previous day said that the first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan could be built within a shorter timeframe than previously announced. There were plans earlier to construct the NPP by 2035, with construction costs estimated at $10-$12 billion.

The citizens of Kazakhstan approved the construction of the NPP in a nationwide referendum in 2024.

Kazakhstan is currently considering high-power reactor technologies from four suppliers, namely France, China, Russia, and South Korea. The Energy Ministry said that the average cost of one power unit is $5 billion.