Russia and Kazakhstan have concluded an agreement for the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, at a cost of 16.5 billion dollars

Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on Thursday for the construction of the first nuclear power plant on Kazakh territory, with a total cost of 16.5 billion dollars, of which two billion will be allocated for security and infrastructure. Work will begin in 2027, and the first unit will be operational in 2034.

The main contractor will be the Russian state company Rosatom, which won against other international competitors. The agreement was signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Astana, where it was appreciated by his Kazakh counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Kazakhstan, the largest uranium producer in the world, has decided to develop nuclear energy to diversify its energy sources, in the context where domestic demand is not fully met.

A second nuclear power plant has also been approved, with CNNC as the general contractor. This decision comes after a period of distrust towards nuclear projects, caused by the history of nuclear testing during the Soviet era.