ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to transform the village of Ulken on the shore of Lake Balkhash into a modern settlement for up to 33,000 residents as part of preparations for the country’s nuclear power plant projects. Photo credit: Atomic Energy Agency. Click to see the map in full size.
The map is designed by The Astana Times. The development will include housing, schools, healthcare facilities, vocational training centers and business infrastructure, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency Almasadam Satkaliyev said during a Nov. 12 meeting with Kazakh specialists working at Türkiye’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant.
Satkaliyev stressed that the project would not create an isolated workers’ settlement but would involve the comprehensive development of the existing village, according to the agency. “This will not be a separate workers’ settlement. It will be the development of Ulken with all the supporting infrastructure necessary for living,” he said.
The plans include residential buildings, educational and medical facilities, training and retraining centers, hotels, service businesses and opportunities for entrepreneurship. Infrastructure initially built to support nuclear power plant construction could also be repurposed for the village after construction is completed.
Ulken is also expected to incorporate modern digital solutions and develop its tourism and recreational potential, leveraging its location and natural landscape along Lake Balkhash. According to Satkaliyev, construction of one nuclear power plant could require up to 15,000 workers at its peak, including civil engineers, welders, installers, electricians and automation and quality control specialists.
Almasadam Satkaliyev meets Kazakh specialists at Türkiye’s Akkuyu NPP. Photo credit: Atomic Energy Agency Once operational, each plant would employ approximately 2,000 people, including nuclear engineers, reactor operators and specialists in nuclear and radiation safety, maintenance and equipment repair.
To meet these requirements, Kazakhstan plans to establish a training center in Ulken and expand cooperation with domestic universities and specialized educational institutions in China and Russia. Kazakh citizens will also have opportunities to pursue postgraduate studies and professional internships abroad through the Bolashak international scholarship program, which provides dedicated quotas for nuclear industry training.