More than 60 Kazakh companies have expressed an interest in supplying goods, services, and undertaking construction work for the country’s first nuclear power plant, according to Sergey Agafonov, chairman of the Kazakhstan Association of Energy Repair, Design, Engineering Companies, and Energy Equipment Manufacturers.
Construction of the plant began last week near the village of Ulken on the shores of Lake Balkhash, approximately 400 kilometers from Almaty. Under the current plan, Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom will commission two reactors with a combined capacity of 2.4 GW by 2035. The facility is expected to meet a substantial share of Kazakhstan’s growing electricity demand.
The estimated cost of the project is between $14 billion and $15 billion, with an additional $1 billion allocated for the development of social infrastructure in the region.
Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev confirmed the company’s readiness to involve Kazakh businesses during a meeting with Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov.
According to the industry association, the preliminary list of potential Kazakh participants includes 66 companies: seven energy equipment manufacturers, 41 building materials producers, and 18 construction firms. Notable names include Tavrida Electric Astana, NERO Group, Kazakhstan Insulator Plant, Sayman Corporation, KARLSKRONA LC AB, Alageum Electric, and Karaganda Turbomachinery Plant. Among building materials suppliers, Qarmet is prominent, while Bazis-A Corp. stands out among construction companies.
Agafonov noted that the project could serve as a major driver for local industry, drawing a parallel to Turkey’s Akkuyu nuclear power plant, where local firms played a substantial role.
As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan plans to construct at least three nuclear power plants. The Chinese National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has been granted the rights to develop the second and third sites.
