Kazakhstan Selects Rosatom to Build Its First Nuclear Power Plant

The government of Kazakhstan has named the companies that will lead the construction of two nuclear power plants in Kazakhstan.

Russia’s Rosatom has been chosen to lead an international consortium tasked with constructing Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant, while China is being considered as the prospective partner for a second facility. The final selection followed a competitive evaluation of several shortlisted suppliers, including Rosatom offering its VVER‑1200 reactors, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) with the HPR‑1000, France’s EDF with the EPR1200, and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) proposing the APR‑1000 and APR‑1400 reactor designs.

The shortlisted companies submitted detailed proposals encompassing both technical and commercial aspects for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan. Their submissions included information such as projected construction costs, proposed project timelines, financing strategies, approaches to localizing equipment production and construction activities, plans for workforce training and the enhancement of scientific and educational capacity, potential integration into the nuclear fuel cycle, and commitments related to social responsibility.

The evaluation was conducted using a methodology jointly developed by the Atomic Energy Agency of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants LLP, and the French engineering firm Assystem. Based on this assessment, Rosatom of Russia was found to have submitted the most optimal and effective proposal for the construction of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant. China’s CNNC ranked second, followed by France’s EDF and South Korea’s KHNP in third place. As a result, Rosatom was officially designated as the lead partner in the international consortium for the project.