Kazakhstan has signed a landmark contract to design, supply, and construct its first nuclear power plant, moving the long-planned project into a concrete implementation phase as the country works to strengthen energy security and prepare for growing electricity demand.
The contract was signed between Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants and Atomstroyexport, a subsidiary of Russia’s Rosatom state nuclear corporation, on the sidelines of the 11th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. The signing was attended by Chairman of Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency Almasadam Satkaliyev and Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev.
From Planning to Implementation
The agreement advances the Kazakhstan nuclear power project beyond early site selection and political decision-making toward detailed implementation. However, the project has not yet reached its final implementation stage. Under the intergovernmental agreement signed on May 28, 2026, the parties will continue the required procedures, including the necessary approval by the Kazakh government.
Kazakhstan approved the construction of a nuclear power plant through a national referendum held in October 2024. The facility is planned for the Zhambyl district of the Almaty Region, with construction expected to take approximately eight years. Rosatom was selected from a shortlist that also included China National Nuclear Corporation, France’s EDF, and Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power.
Energy Security at the Center of the Decision
The government views nuclear power as a direct response to a structural increase in electricity demand. Kazakhstan’s economy, industrial production, and infrastructure are expanding, while digitalization and the development of artificial intelligence are creating additional demand for stable electricity supplies. Unlike intermittent renewable sources, nuclear power is designed to provide continuous baseload electricity.
Globally, nuclear energy supplies nearly 10% of electricity generation and around 20% in advanced economies, according to the International Energy Agency. With global nuclear capacity approaching 413 gigawatts across 32 countries, nuclear power remains a significant source of low-carbon electricity. The IEA estimates that nuclear power currently prevents around 1.5 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and 180 billion cubic meters of gas demand each year.
For Kazakhstan, the appeal of nuclear generation is therefore twofold: it could provide additional stable capacity while supporting the country’s longer-term efforts to reduce the carbon intensity of its power sector.
Nuclear and Renewables as Complementary Sources
Nuclear power is not positioned as a substitute for renewable energy. The IEA has emphasized that nuclear and renewable generation can complement each other as countries work to decarbonize their electricity systems. For Kazakhstan, which holds significant wind and solar potential, the final energy model will likely depend on how nuclear generation is integrated with existing thermal plants and the expanding renewable sector.
Building Domestic Industrial Capabilities
The economic significance of the project could extend well beyond electricity generation. The Atomic Energy Agency has emphasized localization as a priority, aiming to involve Kazakh companies, specialists, goods, works, and services as extensively as possible throughout the construction process.
This focus carries particular weight given the complexity of a nuclear power plant. Its supply chain requires specialized equipment, engineering expertise, safety systems, and exacting technical standards. Building those capabilities domestically could give Kazakhstan an industrial base for future nuclear projects and related activities. The government has stated that the first plant should help create national competencies and a personnel reserve for the further development of the nuclear sector.
A Uranium Producer Enters the Nuclear Energy Space
Kazakhstan enters this new chapter from a distinctive position: it is the world’s leading uranium producer but does not currently generate any electricity from nuclear power. That contrast creates an opportunity to connect the country’s existing standing in the global uranium industry with a domestic nuclear energy value chain.
The first nuclear power plant could serve as the foundation for a broader nuclear-energy cluster, particularly if Kazakhstan proceeds with its stated plans to develop three nuclear power plants in total. The government has described the project as part of Kazakhstan’s efforts to strengthen energy independence and technological sovereignty.
A successful project could deliver reliable baseload electricity, support industrial growth, create specialized employment, and help establish domestic nuclear competencies. It could also provide Kazakhstan with greater flexibility as it works to balance rising electricity demand with its decarbonization objectives.
For a country already holding a leading position in the global uranium industry, the Kazakhstan nuclear power initiative could mark a meaningful transition from primarily supplying nuclear raw materials to producing nuclear energy at home.