Kazakhstan to build a second nuclear power plant in Almaty region

Kazakhstan has approved plans to build a second nuclear power plant as part of its broader push to diversify its energy mix and ensure long-term energy security. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov signed the resolution on January 26, according to a government notice published in the country’s official legal registry on February 2.

The new plant will be located in the Zhambyl District of the Almaty Region, in southeastern Kazakhstan. The resolution took effect immediately upon signing, Interfax reports.

The decision follows the government’s commitment to expand nuclear energy capacity, with several plants planned in the coming years. “Kazakhstan plans to construct several [nuclear power plants],” the government said in a previous statement.

While Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom has been tapped to build the first nuclear facility near Lake Balkhash, the second and third plants could involve China’s state-run China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), according to earlier government announcements.

Construction of the first plant began with research and preliminary work near the village of Ulken on August 8, 2025. Completion is expected in 2035 or 2036, with an estimated 11-year construction timeline.

Kazakhstan, which possesses the world’s largest uranium reserves, has long debated the role of nuclear power in its energy strategy. The country currently does not operate any active nuclear power stations, after shutting down its only Soviet-era reactor in 1999.

However, rising domestic electricity demand, concerns about reliability of fossil fuel-based power generation, and regional decarbonisation goals have prompted renewed investment in nuclear energy.

The latest announcement signals that nuclear power will play a central role in Kazakhstan’s long-term energy infrastructure plans, as the country seeks to position itself as a key player in Central Asia’s energy transition.