NPPs in Central Asia - prospects

It is somewhat paradoxical that Central Asia, which accounts for over half of the world's uranium production, lacks any form of nuclear power. This is even though the rapidly developing economies of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are experiencing a shortage of energy-generating capacity.

At present, three Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan—are contemplating the construction of their nuclear power plants. Concurrently, in light of the ambiguous societal stance on the construction of nuclear power plants (NPPs), the government of Kazakhstan has opted to put the matter to a referendum. On 27 June 2024, President of Kazakhstan Kasym-Jomart Tokayev stated that a referendum on the potential construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan is scheduled to be held in the autumn of this year and that the government should determine the exact date of the referendum.

The construction of a nuclear power plant is currently a topic of extensive debate in Kazakhstan. The village of Ulken, situated on the shores of Lake Balkhash, is under consideration as a potential site for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan.

Uzbekistan has made more progress in the construction of nuclear power plants (NPPs). The Uzbek government considered options for the construction of NPPs by companies from the USA, China, France and South Korea. However, the final choice was made in favour of Russia. Following the last visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin on 27 May 2024, an agreement was signed on the construction of a small NPP with a capacity of 330 MW.

The project entails the construction of a Russian-designed Advanced Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor (ASFR) with an aggregate capacity of 330 MW (six reactors with a capacity of 55 MW each) in the Jizzak region of Uzbekistan. Rosatom will assume the role of general contractor for the construction of the plant. The commissioning of Uzbekistan's inaugural nuclear power plant is scheduled for 2029.

Additionally, Kyrgyzstan has expressed interest in the construction of its own nuclear power plant (NPP). In January 2022, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Energy and the Russian state corporation Rosatom entered into a memorandum of understanding concerning the construction of small nuclear power plants. Subsequently, however, the issue of NPP construction has not progressed beyond the stage of public discussion. In May 2024, Kyrgyz Deputy Energy Minister Taalaibek Baigaziev stated that the entire process of developing a project to build a nuclear power plant in Kyrgyzstan will take the next ten years.

Even though nuclear power plant construction projects in Central Asia are still in the discussion phase and only Uzbekistan has made significant progress towards implementing a small nuclear power plant, a well-coordinated and externally coordinated anti-nuclear campaign is being conducted in the region through non-governmental organisations.

In particular, the international climate network Climate Action Network International and its regional branch, the Climate Action Network in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (CAN EECCA), have expressed opposition to the construction of nuclear power plants (NPPs) in Central Asian countries. One of the primary arguments put forth by NGOs affiliated with CAN EECCA is the seismic risk associated with the construction of nuclear power plants in the Central Asian region.

Indeed, numerous such NGOs that are opposed to the construction of NPPs in Central Asian countries appear to be acting in accordance with the interests of external forces that are not aligned with the goal of regional self-sufficiency and dynamic economic growth. These forces seek to perpetuate the status quo, whereby Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the first and fifth uranium ore producers in the world, respectively, lack their own nuclear power generating capacities and contend with energy shortages that impede both their economic development and the advancement of transit and integration initiatives within the Middle Corridor.

Gulnara Safarli
Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Strategic Partnership Information Support Centre

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