China is said to construct two nuclear power plants in Kazakhstan, First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar confirmed this week, marking a significant development in the Central Asian nation's energy diversification strategy.
Sklyar stated that feasibility studies and design documents for the projects are currently underway. As a result, the overall construction costs have yet to be determined. The intergovernmental agreements and details of cooperation are still under negotiation and will be submitted for parliamentary approval once finalized.
Experts are also in the process of identifying suitable locations for the plants, prioritizing access to water resources and electricity infrastructure.
Although the name of the Chinese company involved has not been officially disclosed, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) is considered the most likely partner. CNNC previously led a consortium with Russia’s Rosatom and has extensive experience in international nuclear development.
Kazakhstan’s move toward nuclear energy gained public backing in a 2024 referendum. In June 2025, the Atomic Energy Agency announced that Rosatom would construct the country’s first nuclear power plant in the Ulken settlement near Lake Balkhash in the Almaty region. That facility is scheduled for commissioning between 2035 and 2036.
Kazakhstan aims to generate 2.4 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2035, helping to meet growing energy demands while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Despite being the world’s largest producer of uranium—holding about 15% of global reserves—Kazakhstan currently does not operate any nuclear power plants and does not utilize its uranium resources for domestic nuclear energy.
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