The decision to build a nuclear power plant (NPP) in Kazakhstan was made as back as November 2006. That time, a resolution was adopted to prepare the site in Mangystau Region, 10 kilometers from Aktau at the former nuclear power generator MAEK, which operated a fast neutron reactor. The decision was to build NPP with medium power reactors to the Russian VBER-300 design and a European technology. Russian specialists promised to finish the feasibility study and justification of investments in 2009. However, in February 2009 the country’s government suspended the project until the issues of the intellectual property transfer are settled with Russia. Later, it was decided to abandon the idea of building the plant in Mangystau Region.
In January President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev charged the government to solve the plant siting issue before this summer. The task is not simple. Majit Sharipov, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Committee within the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of Kazakhstan, stated that it would have been necessary first to set up a specialized management company, which would work on the nuclear construction issue in Kazakhstan. This company would produce the pre-project and project documents, as well as carry out the construction feasibility study, which results would help to identify the future plant site. In recent days, Russian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Mikhail Bocharnikov said that Russian representatives could take part in this work.
“Since the President of the country has made the firm decision on building NPP, I think, I hope we won’t stay outside this process. We have interesting designs we can offer Kazakhstan,” he said to journalists in Atyrau.
The Russian specialists have all chances to contribute to the development of the first NPP in Kazakhstan. ROSATOM and National Atomic Company Kazatomprom have a great experience in fruitful cooperation. In 2009 the companies signed a roadmap of the cooperation in production of natural and enriched uranium. In 2010 the memorandum on the integration and cooperation in peaceful uses of atomic energy and the joint statement on implementation of the alternative project of the International Uranium Enrichment Center (IUEC) followed.
ROSATOM and Kazakhstan have large-scale plans on joint mining and processing of rare-earth metals. Commencing 2016, Kazatomprom, partnering with Uranium One Holding N.V. (U1H) (owns uranium assets of ROSATOM outside Russia) and the private company Intermix Met, would be able to cease one third of the world scandium market. The metal is most expensive among REMs. In frames of this project the companies plan to produce scandium concentrate at uranium mining sites in Kazakhstan and process it in the city of Lermontov in Russia (Stavropol Territory).
