Kazakhstan and China to build two new nuclear plants ^{CEFR B2}

Kazakhstan has agreed with China to build its second and third nuclear power plants. The planned Chinese project would use two HPR-1000 reactors and generate 2.4 GW of electricity. Officials present the move as a way to tackle a growing energy deficit and to reduce dependence on coal, which produced 66 percent of Kazakhstan’s electricity in 2024.

The decision follows a separate contract with Russia’s Rosatom to build the country’s first nuclear plant. Rosatom won the tender and began construction in the village of Ulken on the shore of Balkhash Lake; that plant is expected to cost around USD 15 billion and to generate 2.4 GW by 2035. On June 14 Rosatom was announced as the winner, and officials said China National Nuclear Corporation would build the second plant. On July 31 Roman Sklyar, Kazakhstan’s vice prime minister, said CNNC will build the third plant as well. Exact sites for the second and third plants have not been announced.

Kazakhstan’s energy shortage is urgent: in peak months of 2024 demand reached 17.2 GW while maximum generation capacity was 16.6 GW, and the deficit is projected to reach 6.2 GW by 2030. Nuclear power is also framed as a way to lower air pollution: 35 cities face significant pollution, and doctors link long-term exposure to higher rates of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including COPD. Public sensitivity is high because of the country’s nuclear testing past. Between 1949 and 1989 the Semipalatinsk Testing Site saw 456 nuclear tests and exposed over 1.5 million people to radiation. A government referendum in October 2024 saw 72 percent vote in favour, though critics said the vote was shaped by government pressure.

China and Kazakhstan already have close economic ties: between 2005 and 2023 China invested more than USD 25 billion in Kazakhstan, and China is expanding its own nuclear programme with many reactors under construction and plans for many more by 2035. Kazakhstan’s nuclear agency said only Russia and China can independently offer a complete range of nuclear services from financing to fuel handling. Observers say these projects could shape Kazakhstan’s energy mix and political and environmental risks for decades, since construction, operation and decommissioning may take over 60 years.