The construction of the first Balkhash nuclear power plant (NPP) in Kazakhstan, for which Rosatom has been chosen as the leader of the consortium, will begin in 2027. The decision of the citizens to build it was correct, said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
„Kazakhstan is a world leader in uranium mining and has a nuclear infrastructure. Therefore, the choice in favor of nuclear energy production is absolutely correct. This popular decision during the historic referendum in 2024 is essentially civilizational in nature,” he said, speaking at the closing joint session of the bicameral parliament.
Tokayev added that the construction of the nuclear power plant is “a guarantee of the country’s energy sovereignty, a reliable foundation for the energy-intensive digital economy of the future.” “The construction of the first nuclear power plant will begin next year,” he said.
The decision to choose “Rosatom” to build the first nuclear power plant was made by the republic’s authorities in 2025. During Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Kazakhstan in May, the head of “Rosatom” Alexey Likhachev told reporters that the state corporation expects to start construction in 2027. Later, the Kazakhstan Atomic Energy Agency also announced its intention to start construction next year.
The session of the bicameral parliament was its last; on July 1, a new constitution will come into force in the republic, which provides for the formation of a unicameral Kurultai. Elections for this Kurultai are expected in August.