Overwhelming Support for Nuclear Power Plant Construction
Kazakhstan Votes to Build Nuclear Power Plant
In a national referendum held in Kazakhstan, a significant majority of voters have expressed their support for the construction of a nuclear power plant (NPP) in the country. Preliminary results released by the Central Commission of Kazakhstan show that 71.12% of participants voted in favor of the project.
The referendum, which aimed to gauge public opinion on the NPP construction, saw participation from 7.82 million eligible voters, representing 63.66% of the country’s 12.28 million citizens eligible to vote. Of those who participated, 5.56 million people showed their support for the construction, providing a strong mandate for the controversial project.
Discussions surrounding the building of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan have been ongoing for several years. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed the idea of a referendum in September 2023, suggesting that the final decision should be made through public consultation. The proposed site for the plant is the village of Ulken on the shores of Lake Balkhash in the Almaty region, where the first public hearings took place.
The referendum was scheduled to take place in the fall of 2023, as announced by President Tokayev in June, with the exact date being set by the government later on. The debate over the NPP project has been marked by polarized opinions, with intense discussions during the hearing in Almaty and a physical altercation occurring at the hearing in Astana.
Despite concerns raised by citizens about potential impacts on electricity prices and accountability in the event of an emergency, the majority of voters have shown their support for the government’s proposal.
Kazakhstan is currently evaluating reactor technologies from suppliers in France, China, Russia, and South Korea for the NPP project. The government estimates a total construction cost of around $10 billion, although some experts suggest the cost could rise to $15 billion. The construction of the plant is expected to take approximately 10 years, with an initial capacity of 2.4 GW.
As the project progresses, Kazakhstan will continue to assess the economic benefits and environmental risks associated with the NPP, with the final decision dependent on further negotiations with international partners and technological assessments.
