Nuclear Energy - The Times Of Central Asia

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Nuclear Energy Obituary

Top Nuclear Expert in Uzbekistan Dies at Age 79

Behzod Yo'ldoshev, a prominent Uzbek scientist who was deeply involved in international efforts to ensure the safe use of nuclear power and was a key player in Uzbekistan’s ongoing drive to build a nuclear power plant for energy generation, has died. Yo’ldoshev, president of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, worked as a scientific adviser at the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency and “received wide international recognition in the field of high-energy physics,” the office of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said in a statement. After Yo’ldoshev died at the age of 79 on Wednesday, Mirziyoyev visited his family at their home, where mourners prayed and recited verses of the Quran. The Uzbek scientist collaborated with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, an international center in the Moscow region where he earned his PhD in physics and mathematics, and also had teaching jobs at Stanford University and the University of Washington. Yo’ldoshev published several hundred scientific papers on particle and nuclear physics and other topics, and held more than 20 patents on nuclear applications, according to Stanford. “Uzbek science has suffered a heavy loss,” the Uzbek sciences academy said on social media. Others paying tribute to Yo’ldoshev included the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the National University of Uzbekistan, as well as Gennady Krasnikov, president of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Uzbekistan has been planning to build a nuclear power plant with Russian help for years, but the project has encountered delays. The project got a boost in May when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Tashkent and signed a new deal to build a smaller plant than previously envisioned. Yo’ldoshev was involved in the fitful efforts to deliver nuclear power in Uzbekistan. In 2019, he was in Vienna to inform the International Atomic Energy Agency that the plant would be built in line with the U.N. watchdog’s requirements. In 2020, Rosatom, Russia’s nuclear energy agency, gave Yo’ldoshev a medal for his contributions to the use of atomic energy. Over his decorated career, Yo’ldoshev contributed to international non-proliferation work, such as upgrading research reactors, developing ways to stop illicit trafficking of nuclear material, as well as the transport and securing of highly enriched spent fuel. His other roles included director of the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan and as a member of parliament.

Energy Industry Atomic Energy Referendum Government Nuclear Energy

Kazakhstan Officially Backs Nuclear Power Referendum

The government of Kazakhstan has approved a draft resolution to hold a national referendum on constructing a nuclear power plant (NPP). The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, discussed the prospects for developing nuclear energy in the country. Energy Minister. Almasadam Satkaliyev noted that the referendum will allow Kazakhstanis to make an important decision about the future of the country's energy security. Bektenov emphasized that Kazakhstan has mastered almost the entire cycle of nuclear fuel production and has experience with small reactors. However, the current shortage of energy capacity requires new solutions to avoid purchasing electricity from abroad. With the global abandonment of coal-fired power plants and the limited potential of renewable energy sources, the development of nuclear power is the most promising direction. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, 415 nuclear power units operate worldwide, and 61 new units are under construction in 15 countries, including China and the UK. With its significant uranium resource base, Kazakhstan can ensure stable electricity tariffs and independence from raw material price fluctuations. Modern NPPs have a multi-level safety system that meets IAEA international standards. According to Bektenov, nuclear power should become the basis for Kazakhstan's energy-intensive economy, stimulating innovation and industry development. The draft resolution was supported unanimously. The Ministry of Energy and the Government Office were instructed to submit a draft decree to the Presidential Administration. Talks 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 remains 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 Oblast, near the village of Ulken. These plans sparked lively public debate and protests among residents and environmentalists. President Kassandra-Jomart Tokayev proposed a national referendum to give citizens a say on this critical issue.

Potential Nuclear Partners Environmental Awareness Nuclear Energy Referendum Atomic Energy Nuclear safety Nuclear power public discussion public opinion

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...

Nuclear Energy public opinion Pollution Atomic Energy Energy

Poll Shows Over Half of Kazakhstanis Support Proposed Nuclear Plant

The Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies has announced the results of a telephone survey concerning the proposed construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan. In his address to the nation on September 1, 2023, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the economic and political importance of the development of nuclear energy, and proposed resolving the issue of building the country’s first nuclear power plant through a nationwide referendum. In June 2024, Tokayev announced that the referendum on building a nuclear power plant would be held this fall, adding that the Cabinet of Ministers would set the exact date. The survey was conducted from August 7 to August 18 this year, among 1,200 respondents aged 18 and older from Kazakhstan’s 17 regions and the cities of Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent. Over half of respondents (53.1%) supported building a nuclear power plant, agreeing that it will help solve the problem of electricity shortages by 2030. 32.5% of the respondents oppose the construction of nuclear power plants, mainly because they fear possible accidents and their environmental consequences. 14.4% were uncertain of their stance. During the survey, 42.6% of the respondents expressed a firm intention to participate in a referendum on the issue of nuclear power plant construction, 16.4% said they are likely to participate, 25.3% do not plan to take part, 8.9% are unlikely to participate, and 6.8% are unsure. The Ministry of Energy estimates the cost of building a nuclear power plant at $10-12 billion. Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev said that the nuclear power plant would be built by a foreign company that wins the tender — providing that the issue is approved in the referendum. In addition to companies from China, Russia, France, and South Korea, the ministry is considering companies from the United States and Japan as potential bidders. The proposed location of the nuclear power plant is the village of Ulken in the Karaganda region.

Industry Nuclear safety Nuclear Energy Strategy Economy Security Russia Energy Investments

Nuclear Race: Will Central Asia Build a Nuclear Power Plant?

The answer to the question posed in the title remains uncertain. While Uzbekistan has plans to construct a nuclear power plant and Kazakhstan is set to hold a referendum this fall to gauge public opinion on building one, progress is sluggish. Tashkent has postponed the start of construction, and the issue sparks heated debate in Kazakhstan. The First Nuclear Power Plant in Central Asia Historically, Central Asia did host a nuclear facility. Located on the shore of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan, this was not a conventional nuclear power plant but a fast neutron reactor known as BN-350. The reactor was the core of the Mangistau Nuclear Power Plant, designed to transform the Mangyshlak Peninsula by providing energy to the city of Aktau (formerly Shevchenko) and powering large-scale desalination plants that supplied drinking water to the arid region. [caption id="attachment_20031" align="aligncenter" width="366"] BN-350[/caption] Operational from 1973 until its shutdown in 1999, the BN-350 reactor was decommissioned due to the allocation of U.S. funds for new desalination and heating equipment and the disposal of its remaining fuel. The extensive maintenance and decommissioning work on the BN-350 have given Kazakhstani nuclear physicists significant experience with such complex and hazardous technology. However, younger generations in Kazakhstan are largely unaware of the BN-350 reactor’s existence. Their knowledge of nuclear physics is often limited to the harrowing stories passed down about nuclear warhead tests at the Semipalatinsk test site and their devastating effects. Fear and Nuclear Power: Kazakhstan's Dilemma The societal fear surrounding nuclear energy in Kazakhstan is deeply intertwined with political concerns. For a long time, the leadership in Kazakhstan has hesitated to move beyond merely discussing the need for a nuclear power plant (NPP) to actually initiating the project. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev recently announced that a referendum would take place in the fall of 2024. However, Ministry of Energy's officials avoided mentioning the word "referendum" until the last moment, previously asserting it was unnecessary. Public hearings were held last year in the village of Ulken, Zhambyl district, Almaty region, a proposed site for the nuclear plant. The Ministry of Energy’s press release stated that the local populace supported developing nuclear power, highlighting its significance for regional socio-economic growth. However, media reports revealed that the hearings were contentious, with opposing viewpoints almost disrupting the speech of Nurlan Ertas, the head (akim) of the Zhambyl district. Activists even displayed banners and posters against the plant's construction. Certain groups have exploited the population's fear of another disaster like Chernobyl. Additionally, the government has struggled to convince the public that nuclear technologies are becoming safer. In contrast, Europe now includes nuclear power plants in its list of green energy sources, similar to other renewable energy sources (RES). In Kazakhstan, renewable energy accounts for only 5% of the total energy produced. The introduction of NPPs could significantly enhance the country’s position in reducing carbon emissions. The government faces a growing electricity shortage that can be addressed either harmfully or fearfully. The harmful options are coal-fired thermal power plants...

Energy Nuclear Energy

Tokayev Announces Referendum on New Power Plant

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has announced a referendum on constructing a nuclear power plant. The popular vote will be held in the fall of this year. "You know that economic development is impossible without a stable energy supply. Therefore, I was tasked to work on constructing a nuclear power plant. A wide discussion is underway, and different points of view are being expressed. Mass media should also take an active part in this process," Tokayev said during a speech at a ceremony to honor journalists. He noted that Kazakhstan has excellent opportunities to develop nuclear energy. "It is important to use them correctly and effectively. The people will decide on this issue, and the referendum will be held this fall. The government will determine the exact date," Tokayev said. Kazakhstan's intentions to build a nuclear power plant have been discussed for years. The Ulken settlement, located on the shore of Lake Balkhash, is tentatively chosen as the site.