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Kazakhstan Plans to Equate Nuclear Energy With “Green” Energy

Kazakhstan plans to equate nuclear power with renewable energy sources (RES), such as solar and wind power, and extend to it the same benefits that already apply to them. The Energy Ministry has drafted a bill to incentivize alternative energy sources as part of the transition to a green economy, including the development of hydrogen energy. According to a document published on October 18 on the Open Regulatory Legal Acts portal, the discussion will last until November 11. One of the main problems identified in the draft is the need for legislative preferences for nuclear power despite its potential as an environmentally friendly source. In 2023, the share of RES in Kazakhstan was only about 6% of total electricity generation, emphasizing the need to develop alternative sources to reduce carbon emissions. Kazakhstan intends to follow the EU's example. In 2022, the EU recognized nuclear power as “green.” This recognition opens the way to receiving benefits and subsidies for future nuclear projects, including Kazakhstan's first atomic power plant. At the same time, the bill's authors noted that the analysis of international experience points to the constant clarification and supplementation of legislation considering current realities (technology development, market structure, global experience, and the current situation in the country). In particular, in Germany, the law on renewable (alternative) energy sources has undergone six amendments, including an increase in the targets for using alternative energy sources, adjustment of support measures taking into account the achieved level, and so on. Since 2000, various programs have been developed in Poland to supplement and clarify the different incentives for developing alternative energy sources.

Energy Security Nuclear Referendum NPP public opinion Nuclear Energy Atomic Energy China Russia

Kazakhstan Enters Era of Peaceful Nuclear Energy

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's bet on a referendum to secure citizens' consent to construct a nuclear power plant has worked. The Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan announced the final results of the referendum held last Sunday, in which 63,66% of citizens eligible to vote showed up at the polling stations. 71.12 % answered “Yes” to the question on the ballot paper about consent to constructing the nuclear power plant. Organizations engaged in sociological surveys of voters at the exit polls announced similar results on Sunday night and Monday. “The exit poll of the Institute of Complex Social Studies - Astana (SOCIS-A) called the referendum participants' decision to favor the construction of nuclear power plants in Kazakhstan. 'For' voted 69.8%, ‘Against’ - 30.2%. Similar figures were shown by the Institute of Eurasian Integration exit poll ('For' - 71.8%, 'Against' - 28.2%). According to the Institute of Public Policy of the Amanat party, 72.3% of referendum participants voted in favor of the NPP construction. In comparison, 27.7% voted against,” Kazakhstani political analyst Eduard Poletayev said on his Facebook account. His colleague Daniyar Ashimbayev, commenting on the exit poll data, emphasized that Kazakhstanis have managed to overcome old phobias related to Chernobyl and tests at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, as well as “enemy propaganda.” By 'propaganda', he means the agitation work of opponents to NPP construction. [caption id="attachment_24131" align="alignnone" width="300"] @ТСА/Kubaizhanov[/caption] “For many years, projects to return to nuclear energy were discussed, but there was always a lack of political will, and powerful foreign pressure prevented the decision necessary for the country. And even now, during the campaign period, we have seen the active work of propagandists paid from abroad to not only disrupt the plans for the construction of nuclear power plants but also to try to destabilize the situation in the country,” said Ashimbayev. Ashimbayev implies that the United States is putting sticks in the wheels of the development of Kazakhstan's nuclear industry. And the point here is not that American nuclear corporations were left off the shortlist, which Kazakhstan is considering, but in the usual policy of containment. Not Kazakhstan, of course, but Russia and China - Washington's main geopolitical rivals and competitors. Realizing this, Tokayev, after voting in the referendum and answering journalists' questions afterward, said that he would like the NPP to be built by an international consortium, presumably from the companies of those countries that were on the shortlist: Russia, China, South Korea, and France. “This is not an easy question. The government should engage in analysis and conduct appropriate negotiations. My vision for this issue is for an international consortium to work in Kazakhstan, consisting of global companies with the most advanced technologies. Further, as they say, life will show,” Tokayev said. Kazakhstan has turned another significant page in its history. In 400 days of discussing nuclear power plants - how long it took from when Tokayev first mentioned atomic power to the end of the campaign period - the president's team has managed the...

Energy Security Nuclear Referendum Energy Infrastructure Atomic Energy US

U.S. Ready to Participate in Construction of Nuclear Power Plant in Kazakhstan

The U.S. has expressed its willingness to participate in constructing a nuclear power plant (NPP) in Kazakhstan. Senior Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Khush Choksi made this statement during the visit of the U.S. business delegation to Almaty, Informburo.kz reports. “The U.S. has the best technologies for nuclear power plants. And we hope there will be an open tender, allowing American companies to participate,” said Choksi, answering journalists' questions. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, the referendum on nuclear power in Kazakhstan was held on October 6. According to preliminary data, 71.12% of Kazakhstanis voted to build a nuclear power plant, but the official results have yet to be announced. Potential participants in constructing the nuclear power plant are also being discussed. Russia, China, France, South Korea, and France are among the countries that are considered suppliers of technologies for NPP construction. These states have proposed their projects, and the Kazakhstani authorities are considering them. It is expected that the winner may be an international consortium, and the final decision will be made based on technical and financial conditions. The preliminary cost of one NPP unit is estimated at $5 billion.

Energy Security Strategy Atomic Energy Referendum Nuclear Energy public opinion NPP Nuclear Referendum

Kazakhstan Awaits Results of Nuclear Referendum; Exit Polls Indicate a “Yes” Vote

Kazakhstan is awaiting the official results of a referendum on whether to build its first nuclear power plant, though exit polls showed “yes” voters were in the majority, according to state-run media reports. The project could ease chronic energy shortages and reduce reliance on coal-fired facilities but is fraught with concerns about costs, transparency, and the legacy of the human and environmental cost of Soviet nuclear weapons testing decades ago. Led by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kazakhstan’s political establishment has backed the idea of peaceful nuclear power as a way to move the country forward and the referendum appears aimed partly at giving people a sense of agency after the trauma of Soviet testing at Semipalatinsk. But some opponents allege that authorities restricted their efforts to organize a “no” campaign with detentions and other pressure designed to lock in an expected vote in favor. Officials results had not been announced as of early Monday morning. Voting at polling stations in Kazakhstan ended at 8 p.m. on Sunday and turnout among eligible voters was 63.87%, according to the Central Election Commission. The highest turnout was in the Kyzylorda region (82.48%) and the lowest turnout was in the city of Almaty (25.39%). Turnout in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital, was 50.81%. “The precinct referendum commissions have begun counting the votes. The counting process at each polling station must not exceed twelve hours from the start of the count,” the commission said. Additionally, more than 7,358 Kazakh citizens voted at polling stations abroad, including in Asia, South America, Europe, and the United States, according to Roman Vassilenko, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. He noted at a briefing on Sunday night that the referendum had been monitored by observers from regional organizations, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Organization of Turkic States, and the Astana-based Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia. The heads of the observer missions said the referendum was “open, free, and legitimate, with no violations detected at any polling stations,” Vassilenko said. Kazakhstan also invited observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, but the OSCE declined to send a delegation “due to heavy workload,” reported the state-run Kazinform news agency. The OSCE sent a mission to observe a 2022 referendum on constitutional changes in Kazakhstan and concluded that it took place “in an environment short of genuine political pluralism.” One critic of the rules surrounding the nuclear referendum is Tamara Yeslyamova, editor-in-chief of the Uralskaya Nedelya, a newspaper that has sparred with the government over the years. A judge issued her with a fine for 110,760 tenge ($230) after she conducted video interviews about the referendum on nuclear power with half a dozen people on the street, the newspaper reported. It said the judge concluded that the interviews amounted to a public opinion survey; the law says such a poll can only be done by a state-sanctioned entity.

Energy Security public opinion Atomic Energy Nuclear Energy Nuclear Referendum

Kazakhstanis Will Be Able to Vote in 61 Countries in the Nuclear Power Referendum

Speaking at a briefing, Secretary of the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Erman said that 76 polling stations in 61 countries abroad will be opened for citizens to participate in the referendum on constructing nuclear power plants. However, the polling station in Lebanon will not open due to the current situation there. “Just today, we held consultations with the Foreign Ministry, and we received information from our colleagues that one polling station in Lebanon will not be opened because, you know, there are full-scale hostilities in that country. The situation there is tough; we cannot risk our voters' and fellow citizens' lives and health. That is why there are currently 76 polling stations and 61 countries,” Erman said, noting that all procedures relating to voting abroad — opening of polling stations, counting of votes, and transfer of information — will be carried out in strict accordance with Kazakhstan's current legislation. Earlier, The Times of Central Asia reported that 177 international observers from 30 countries and four international organizations will monitor the referendum on NPP in Kazakhstan. In addition, on the day of the referendum, 200 foreign journalists from 37 countries will be on the ground to ensure the transparency and objectivity of the referendum. The idea of holding the referendum, which will be held on October 6, 2024, emerged against the backdrop of regular problems with energy supply and the need to modernize infrastructure. An active debate has accompanied the move.

Energy Atomic Energy Nuclear Energy public opinion Nuclear Referendum

Observers From 30 Countries Will Follow the Referendum on NPP in Kazakhstan

The secretary of the Central Referendum Commission, Mukhtar Erman, has announced that 177 international observers will monitor the referendum on constructing a nuclear power plant (NPP) in Kazakhstan. Erman specified that observers represent 30 countries and four international organizations. Major international organizations invited by Kazakhstan include the OSCE, SCO, CIS, and Organization of Turkic States; however, the OSCE will not participate due to its high workload. Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko added that 200 foreign journalists from 37 countries, including international media representatives, will work on the day of the referendum. According to Vassilenko, this will ensure transparency and objectivity. The idea of holding the referendum, which will be held on October 6, 2024, emerged against the backdrop of regular problems with energy supply and the need to modernize infrastructure. An active debate has characterized the build-up to the referendum, a project supported by the authorities as a solution to combat energy shortages and carbon dioxide emissions, whilst some quarters of the population remain concerned about environmental risks and Kazakhstan's historical connection to nuclear testing.