A referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan is scheduled for October 6. If citizens support the project, the nuclear power plant will be built by 2035 on the coast of Lake Balkhash in the village of Ulken, Almaty region.
Currently, coal-fired power plants account for more than 70% of electricity production in Kazakhstan, while the republic is rich in uranium. Against the background of periodic power outages, many citizens are in favor of building a nuclear power plant.
According to the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KISI), the majority of survey participants (53.1%) have a positive assessment of this initiative. 32.5% opposed the construction, and 14.4% of respondents have not yet decided on this issue.
According to preliminary estimates, the cost of building a nuclear facility will be $11.2 billion. Rosatom, China's CNNC, South Korea's KHNP, and France's EDF are competing to participate in the project. Rosatom hopes that Russian specialists will be involved in the construction.
