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| KAZAKHSTAN & RUSSIA TO CONSTRUCT NUCLEAR PLANT IN AKTAU |
Astana, July 27th: Kazakhstan and Russia are establishing a joint venture to construct a nuclear power plant in Aktau, in the Mangystau oblast (region) of West Kazakhstan.
Director of the Atomic Energy & Industry Department, Mazhit Sharipov, announced the plan at an extended meeting of the Kazakh Ministry of Industry & High Technologies’ Board on Friday, July 23rd: “Kazakhstan and Russia have already created a joint venture for designing a nuclear power plant, and a feasibility study has been developed,” said Mr Sharipov.
Kazakhstan and Russia are preparing a draft intergovernmental agreement to cooperate on the design of a ‘Water block power reactor 300 MW’ type.
Kazakhstan’s President Nazarbayev first announced the ambitious plan following his meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on July 5th.
The first block of the two-block plant should be launched by 2016- with completion of the project expected by 2020.
The ultimate decision on the Aktau plant was based on various analyses and the prospects of regional development - taking into account the replacement of energy sources being decommissioned.
The construction of the interstate oil and gas transportation line Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan-Russia-Europe, the development of a tourism cluster in the oblast and the establishment of the ‘Aktau City’ housing and administrative complex means that the region will need an energy source which would compensate outgoing power and ensure the supply of an ever-growing demand for electricity. The project should be implemented well in advance to ensure that no electricity shortages in the region are reported.
Kazakhstan has significant potential to develop nuclear energy as it has about 20% of the world’s explored reserves of uranium and its own developed uranium mining and processing industry.
Mr Sharipov said Kazakhstan plans to produce 18,000 tons of uranium this year alone (in 2009, the country was the world’s leader in terms of uranium output). He said that it is yet unclear if the republic needs to produce so much – adding that “Kazakhstan could exhaust its uranium resources within 70-80 years if such intensive development of deposits continues. While understanding that the atomic energy is the energy sector of the future, we should be very careful” he said
Kazatomprom is one of the largest producers of uranium in the world; the company is 100% state-owned and is the national operator of Kazakhstan’s uranium exports and compounds.
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| Author(s) : |
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| Date : |
29/07/2010 |
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