Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Ambitions Take Shape in Talks with Russia's Rosatom Chief

Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has met with Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, to discuss the progress and cooperation surrounding Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant.

The meeting followed the official launch of the plant’s construction in the Almaty region, which began a day earlier, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

Bektenov was briefed on the project’s status and key developments.

During the talks, both sides explored critical elements of the initiative, including maximizing local content in goods and services, engaging domestic suppliers and manufacturers, employing local personnel, and promoting knowledge transfer. They also discussed plans to localize various stages of the nuclear fuel cycle and the potential creation of an international consortium involving leading Kazakhstani and foreign partners.

Rosatom reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with both Kazakh and international suppliers to ensure strong collaboration throughout the plant’s construction and development phases.

Bektenov underscored that the nuclear power plant project is being closely monitored by President Tokayev and assured that the government will provide comprehensive support to ensure its successful execution.

According to earlier reports, the engineering and geological surveys for the project will take approximately 18 months and will include an in-depth study of soil characteristics, groundwater levels, seismic activity, and geological fault lines at the construction site.