Environmental Awareness - The Times Of Central Asia

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Nuclear Energy

Kazakhstan to Hold Nuclear Plant Referendum on October 6

A popular vote on the need to build a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan will be held on October 6. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced this during his annual address to the nation. “Given the growing global energy deficit, we need reliable and environmentally friendly energy sources. Therefore, I believe it is necessary to pay close attention to the development of nuclear energy. This type of generation can largely meet the rapidly growing needs of our economy. About 200 nuclear power plants are operating in 30 developed and developing countries,” the head of state said. Discussions on constructing a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan have been ongoing for many years. The idea of the need for a nuclear power plant first appeared after the closure of the Soviet reactor in Aktau in 1999. Since then, the country has repeatedly raised questions about the development of nuclear power, especially in the context of improving energy security and climate change resilience. However, public opinion is divided: many people in the country remember the consequences of nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk test site and fear environmental risks. In 2021, discussions about constructing a nuclear power plant intensified when a possible site for Kazakhstan's first atomic power plant began to be considered in Almaty region, near the village of Ulken. These plans sparked lively public debate and protests among residents and environmentalists. According to Tokayev, Kazakhstan should consider the future, taking into account long-term national interests and the country's specifics. “Every step important for the country's life should be made with the support of the people. So, it should be done by referendum on the nuclear power plant; this topic has been on the public agenda for a year. I believe this is the time for citizens to make an informed decision. The upcoming referendum will be another manifestation of a broad national dialog and a vivid example of realizing the concept of a 'listening state.' In fact, with such steps, we form a new socio-political culture and lay new standards for making key state decisions,” he said.

Environmental Awareness

CAREC Think Tank Development Forum to Focus on Climate Solutions

The 8th CAREC Think Tank Development Forum (CTTDF) will be held on August 27 and 28 in Almaty. Themed “The Climate Challenge: Thinking Beyond Borders for Collective Action,” the forum aims to address regional climate challenges by fostering collaborations for policy recommendations and joint research. The CAREC Institute, the Eurasian Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and other partners will organize the forum, which will bring together policymakers, experts, and leaders from across Asia to advance regional cooperation on climate action. Headquartered in Urumqi in China’s Xinjiang, the CAREC Institute is an intergovernmental organization contributing to the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program through knowledge generation and capacity building. The Institute is jointly shared and governed by the CAREC's eleven member countries: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The forum participants will engage in meaningful policy discourse to identify solutions for a climate-resilient region, explore joint research opportunities, and facilitate innovative climate studies beyond mainstream agendas. Representatives from international organizations, high-level government officials, esteemed university scholars, and experts from leading think tanks will be key speakers. The Director of the CAREC Institute and the Vice President of the Asian Development Bank will address the opening ceremony. The forum will include a research presentation by Arman Akhunbaev, Eurasian Development Bank’s head of the Center for Infrastructure and Industrial Research, with insights into the financial solutions to close the investment gap in Central Asia's drinking water and sanitation infrastructure. The forum will also feature presentations, panel discussions, case studies, and interactive sessions designed to foster dialogue and develop actionable strategies for climate resilience in the CAREC region.

Nuclear Energy

Who Will Benefit if Kazakhstan Refuses To Build Nuclear Power Plants?

Kazakhstan is facing a growing energy deficit while having large reserves of uranium which would allow the country to develop its nuclear power industry. However, so far, uranium mined in the country is used solely for export, and every year difficulties with supply chains only increase. All these problems can be solved in one elegant way, but this solution is what a part of the Kazakhstani public actively opposes. Difficulties with production and supplies Kazakhstan ranks second in the world in terms of proven reserves of natural uranium. About 14% of the world's proven reserves are concentrated in the country's subsoil. According to estimates, the country's explored reserves contain more than 700,000 tons of uranium. In 2009, Kazakhstan became the world's largest uranium producer and continues to maintain its leading position in the global market, producing approximately 40% of the world's uranium. In 2021, uranium production in Kazakhstan amounted to 21,800 tons, but by 2023 this had decreased to 21,112 tons. Moreover, due to difficulties related to the availability of sulfuric acid, the national company Kazatomprom reduced production plans for 2024. According to the initial plan, between 25,000 and 25,500 tons were to be produced; now, the plan is to produce 21,000 to 22,500 tons. Kazatomprom has also stated that if limited access to sulfuric acid continues through 2024 and the company fails to reduce the construction backlog at new sites, it could have a negative impact on production plans for 2025. Uranium mining in Kazakhstan is carried out solely by in-situ leaching, the most environmentally safe and lowest-cost method available. The Russia-Ukraine conflict could not help but affect this area of Kazakhstan's exports. This year, it became known that Kazakhstan is working on diversifying its uranium export routes, bypassing Russia. This is stated in the report on implementing the concept of development of Kazakhstan's fuel and energy complex for 2023. As part of this, Kazatomprom is working on an agreement with the Chinese companies CNUS, CNEIC, and CNNC to provide uranium transit services through China. Kazakhstan currently transports uranium products to customers in North America and Europe through the port of St. Petersburg. An alternative way is to use the Trans-Caspian international transportation route, with shipments through the ports of Aktau (Kazakhstan), Alyat (Azerbaijan), and Poti (Georgia). Nuclear deadlock Obviously, some of the concerns of Kazakhstan's leadership and Kazatomprom regarding the sale of uranium products could be alleviated by developing the country's own nuclear industry, meaning that uranium mined in the country would feed its own nuclear power plants. Talks about the need to build nuclear plants in the country have regularly been raised since the beginning of the 2000s. Kazakhstani nuclear physicists and nuclear specialists, with the persistence of a Don Quixote have periodically rush to attack the windmills of Kazakhstani radio-phobia, which, however, did not arise without reason. The Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS) and the Chernobyl disaster are two significant elements of this phobia. In the early 1990s, when the SNTP was closed, the...

Environmental Awareness Social Kumtor Economy Security

Will Kumtor’s ‘Tails’ Benefit or Harm Kyrgyzstan?

The Finnish company Metso is set to develop a tailings pond at Kyrgyzstan's Kumtor goldmine but local environmentalists are sceptical, claiming that recycling the waste will bring more damage to the environment than economic benefits. "Tailings" are liquid and solid metal (pulp) remnants of ore processing and according to various estimates, Kumtor's tailings pond contains 70 to 130 tons of gold that could not be mined at the plant. The remnants of precious metal with harmful waste are mothballed, making secondary mining extremely difficult. The Kyrgyz government however, believes that cooperation with the Finns could provide the state with an annual revenue of some $3.5 billion. Isakbek Torgoev, head of the geo-environmental monitoring laboratory at the Institute of Geomechanics and Subsoil Development of Kyrgyzstan and a candidate of technical sciences, told the Times of Central Asia that the Kumtor tailings pond, grandiose in volume, has over a hundred million tailings. "Throughout the entire phase of the mine -over 30 years - ores were taken from different parts of the Kumtor deposit. At times, ores containing 1.8 grams of gold per ton were dumped in the tailings pond. By comparison, at the Boruu gold mine in Mongolia, that amount of gold is contained in the mined rock, but here it is in the tailings. This is a lot," notes Torgoev. The scientific institute believes that dangerous chemical processes occur in the abandoned ores. "Frankly speaking, I am sceptical about such a development, given that very few successful examples exist worldwide. Especially at Kumtor, with its difficult climatic conditions and frigid winters. Theoretically, the work can be carried out, but practically, we'll see," commented the scientist. According to Torgoev, the price of gold may fall, and because of unprofitability, the Finnish company could refuse to process tailings. Moreover, the reclamation of tailings is a very complicated technological process. In addition to constructing water drains, a layer of a meter thick soil is required to cover them. Otherwise, the waste will go into the rivers and soil, harming the environment. The former owners of Kumtor, the Canadian company Centerra Gold, accumulated about $60 million for the reclamation of the tailings pond after the mine was depleted (tentatively in 2027). However, after the nationalization of the mine, the fate of these funds remains unknown. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan, there are 92 burial sites for toxic and radioactive substances in the country. Of these, 23 tailings contain uranium elements, while the rest are buried with radioactive rock residues, heavy metals, and cyanide.

Environmental Awareness Foreign Investment Aviation

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production in Kazakhstan

On June 20, Chairman of the Board of Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company KazMunayGas (KMG) Askhat Khasenov attended a meeting with the management of the American company LanzaJet and the Japanese investment company Mitsui to discuss the production of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) in Kazakhstan. SAF is an environmentally-friendly version of Jet-1 fuel that reduces carbon emissions by 80%. According to KMG, a preliminary feasibility study for the possible construction of a SAF production facility in Kazakhstan has already been completed by KMG and Air Astana with financial assistance from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The next stage is developing a feasibility study for the actual implementation of the project. Air Astana is currently exploring the use of SAF by its air fleet. Regarding the concept of low-carbon development, the share of SAF consumption by the airline company will gradually increase to 5% by 2040, 15% by 2050, and 25% by 2060. Three large oil refineries owned by KazMunayGas are ready to produce Jet A-1 aviation fuel, which could be mixed with SAF in the future. LanzaJet recently opened LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels in the US, the world's first SAF production facility, with plans to produce 1 billion gallons of SAF by 2030.

Wildlife Conservation Cultural Heritage Environmental Awareness

‘Save the Berkuts’ Campaign Launched in Kazakhstan

On June 19, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan and Efes Kazakhstan signed a Memorandum to implement “Save the Berkuts”; a campaign aimed to preserve and restore Kazakhstan’s population of golden eagles. The Asian golden eagle known as a berkut, is revered as a living emblem of the country’s culture and history and symbolizing Kazkhstan’s national identity, was incorporated into the country’s flag designed by Shaken Niyazbekov in 1992. With a wingspan of up to two metres, it is the largest member of the hawk family and a formidable hunter, plays a crucial role in controlling numbers of rabbits, hares, marmots, foxes and even deer. Integral to Kazakhstan’s heritage, the berkut has been famously used by traditional hunters for centuries but its population is now threatened by a gradual destruction of its natural habitat, persecution, and illegal poaching. In recent years, the bird has been officially protected by the state and is included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s list of protected species. “Save the Berkuts” is a continuation of a project implemented by Efes Kazakhstan from 2012 to 2019. During this period, 25 golden eagles were bred and released into the wild around Almaty, leading to a significant increase in their numbers in the region. As part of the new campaign, supported by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Efes Kazakhstan has pledged funding to boost and protect the population of wild eagles through expeditions and the maintenance of breeding programmes until 2034. Welcoming the initiative, the ministry stated that the memorandum demonstrates the joint efforts of the state and private business in preserving the natural heritage of Kazakhstan.