Kazakhstan's Nuclear Plant Will Remain State-Owned, Project Model Differs from Türkiye’s, Official Says

On the day construction officially began on Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant, Yernat Berdigulov, general director of Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants LLP (KAES), addressed questions about potential risks, Orda.kz reports.

In Türkiye, workers involved in building the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant have complained of delayed wages and poor working conditions, even staging protests. That project is fully controlled by the Russian side. Berdigulov was asked whether Kazakhstan could face similar challenges.

In response, the KAES director emphasized that Kazakhstan’s project is based on a different model.

The nuclear plant in Türkiye is being built under a different mechanism. The Russian side builds it, owns it, operates it, and supplies electricity from it. Here in Kazakhstan, the Kazakh side fully owns the plant. The Russian side leads the consortium and serves as the contractor implementing the project,
he explained.

Berdigulov clarified that for all foreign participants, this is a commercial venture. Companies involved will earn during the construction phase, but exit once the plant is completed.

Any company is driven by profit. But considering that the nuclear power plant will belong to Kazakhstan, after construction is completed and the warranty period ends, the contractor leaves. The station remains the property of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Rates will be based on operating costs and investment recovery,
 he added.

A formal groundbreaking ceremony was held today near the village of Ulken in the Almaty region to mark the launch of construction on Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny