ASTANA – Kazakhstan has signed a contract to design, supply and build its first nuclear power plant, moving the long-planned project into a new practical phase as the country seeks 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. The contract moves the first nuclear power plant project beyond early site selection and political decision-making toward detailed implementation.
Photo credit: Ministry of Energy. The agreement marks a significant step in Kazakhstan’s plans to introduce nuclear generation into its energy mix. However, the project has not yet reached the 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.
From political decision to construction project The contract moves the first nuclear power plant project beyond early site selection and political decision-making toward detailed implementation. Kazakhstan approved the construction of a nuclear power plant through a national referendum in October 2024.
The project is planned for the Zhambyl district of the Almaty Region, with construction expected to take about eight years. Rosatom was selected from a shortlist that also included China National Nuclear Corporation, France’s EDF and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.
Rising electricity demand puts energy security at the center The government sees nuclear power as a 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 generation. 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 major 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 attraction 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.