On December 12, 2022, in Astana a round table was hosted on the topic "Development of nuclear energy in Kazakhstan", organized by the New Nuclear Watch Institute (NNWI).
During the round table, the experts noted that the demand for electricity in the country is growing day by day. If electricity were produced in sufficient quantities, one of the most important problems today would be putting the heating system in order. Experts believe that construction of a nuclear power plant is the most effective way to solve this problem.
In addition, at the round table, the industry experts noted that NPP construction in Kazakhstan is already being delayed. NPP construction takes at least 10 years. The full operating period can be in 2035.
The General Director of the Institute of Nuclear Physics Sayabek Sakhiyev noted that the development of energy reflects the degree of development of the country. According to the General Director’s opinion, the NPP is considered to be the “greenest” energy for 100 years.
— A decision was made regarding NPP construction. What has not yet been decided is who will make construction, which countries? The proposed water-cooled power reactor was first opened in 1957 in the USA, and in 1964 in the USSR. I believe that this is one of the most reliable reactors. Kazakhstan was supposed to construct a nuclear power plant several decades ago. But it's not too late. I think that if the nuclear power plant is constructed, the energy sector in Kazakhstan will completely change compared to the current situation, - said the General Director of the INP.
Also during the round table, the experts focused on the regulatory framework for NPP construction in Kazakhstan, the safety of technologies and transparency of the processes. In case of NPP construction, the need to expand the regulatory framework was mentioned. Based on this, the experts expressed the opinion that a complete list of regulatory legal acts should be included in the list of obligatory documents of the IAEA.
