Azernews.Az

Companies from six countries are interested in participating in constructing a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, the country’s Energy Ministry told Trend.

Kazakhstan has held consultations on this issue with leading companies which possess modern reactor technologies: Rosatom (Russia), Areva (France), Toshiba, Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC), Mitsubishi, (Japan), CGNPC (China), KEPCO (South Korea), Westinghouse (US), Hitachi-General Electric (Japan and the US), said the ministry.

During the meetings, foreign companies provided information about the new reactors with improved safety factors, experience in construction and operation of nuclear power plants and expressed interest in cooperation in constructing the nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan.

The Energy Ministry noted that to date, two areas have been chosen for constructing the nuclear power plant: Kurchatov town in East Kazakhstan province (on the place of the pre-existing Semipalatinsk nuclear testing site ("The Polygon")) and Ulken village of Almaty province (near the Lake Balkhash).

It is planned to construct the nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan in accordance with the order of the country’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Kazakhstan has large reserve of uranium – fuel for a nuclear power plant. The country has ranked first in the world since 2009 for uranium production. The volume of uranium production in Kazakhstan totaled 22,829 tons in 2014, or 1.5 percent more than in 2013.

Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry told Trend that the construction of the nuclear power plant in the country will require at least 12 years. Around two years are needed to work out the feasibility study of the project and then, at least 10 years for construction work.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz