Kazakhstani authorities plan to create about 10,000 jobs during the construction of the first nuclear power plant in the village of Ulken in the Almaty region, the press service of the Kazakhstan Atomic Energy Agency reported.
„The implementation of the nuclear power plant construction project will allow the creation of new jobs both during construction and installation works and during the operation of the plant. Thus, by 2030, about 5,000 people will be provided with work, and at the peak of construction in 2032 - nearly 10,000 people,“ the report says.
It is noted that the commissioning of the nuclear power plant in 2035 will provide work for 2,000 people.
“The construction of the nuclear power plant is a response to the constantly increasing load on the country's energy system. Thus, in 2024, electricity consumption in Kazakhstan increased by 4.3% compared to the previous year and reached 120 billion kWh. At the same time, production increased by 4.5%, amounting to 117.9 billion kWh. “During peak loads, the electricity deficit was compensated by importing electricity“, the press service explained.
The construction of the NPP will give a powerful impetus to the development of two regions at once - the Almaty and Zhambyl regions.
“In particular, new opportunities will open up for local residents - employment, training, qualification in technical professions. This also contributes to the development of local infrastructure (roads, electricity, water supply), the social sphere (opening of schools, kindergartens, medical facilities), growth of investment attractiveness and business activity of business, will broaden the horizons of young people“, - specified the press service.
On August 8, in the village of Ulken in the Almaty region, the first work on the project for the construction of a nuclear power plant began - engineering studies to select the optimal site and preparation of design documentation for the construction of a powerful nuclear power plant. The event was attended by the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency of Kazakhstan Almasadam Satkaliev and the Director General of the State Corporation “Rosatom“ Alexey Likhachev.
According to the department, the future station is based on modern VVER-1200 reactors (water-moderated power reactor with an electric capacity of 1200 MW) of generation III+. This technology meets the strictest international safety requirements and has already been successfully used in existing and under-construction facilities in Russia, Belarus, Turkey, Bangladesh, Egypt and China. The reactor's operating life is 60 years with the possibility of extending it by another 20 years.
The decision to build the first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan was made in a referendum in 2024. In June this year, the Atomic Energy Agency announced that among four companies - “Rosatom“, China's CNNC, France's EDF and South Korea's KHNP - the Russian company was chosen as the leader of the consortium to build the nuclear power plant, as it offered the most optimal conditions. The head of the Atomic Energy Agency, Almasadam Satkaliev, announced earlier that it is planned to regulate the construction of the station by an intergovernmental agreement with the Russian Federation, which Astana expects to sign in 2025.