Kazakhstan Energy Minister: Time Zone Change Has Minimal Impact on Russian Power Imports

Kazakhstan's transition to a single time zone has had virtually no effect on electricity imports from Russia. Minister of Energy Almassadam Satkaliyev said this in the Majilis, reports Orda.kz.

We tracked this in detail, I specifically say that the time change does not affect import volumes. This falls within statistical error - the volumes aren't that large. We have a daily schedule - if it increases somewhere, it decreases somewhere else, it's all balanced within daily consumption, said Satkaliyev.

He was also asked about choosing a supplier to build the nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan.

He responded that one hasn't been selected yet, but safety will be the primary selection criterion. 

The most modern technologies will be used, the safest ones, which are based on post-Fukushima requirements, and we believe that the plant that will be in Kazakhstan will be the safest, most modern plant, using the best technologies that exist in the world today by all parameters,added Satkaliyev.

Post-Fukushima NPP requirements are safety measures introduced after the accident at Japan's Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant in 2011. 

Main requirements:

• Safeguards against natural disasters
• Enhanced standards against earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and extreme weather conditions
• Placement of backup power sources above possible flooding levels
• Improved cooling system
• Additional heat removal systems that work even during power outages should be installed
• Duplication of backup cooling systems
• Enhanced reactor autonomy
• Reactors must maintain safety even during complete external power loss
• Placement of mobile pumps and generators for water supply to the cooling zone
• Additional measures against radiation releases
• Sealing of reactor buildings to prevent radioactive substance releases
• Improved steam filtration systems
• New accident management procedures
• Regular stress tests to evaluate NPP resilience to extreme situations

These measures were adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Commission, and national nuclear regulators to prevent incidents similar to Fukushima.

 Original Author: Ilya Astakhov