Kazakhstan taps Rosatom to build Balkhash nuclear power plant

Kazakhstan has signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Russia’s Rosatom for the construction of two power units at the planned Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant, with a combined capacity of 2,400 MW.

The contract was signed by Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants (KNPP) and Rosatom on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev and Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency Chairman Almasadam Satkaliyev said after the signing that the Russian state nuclear corporation is expected to obtain the necessary license and begin construction in 2027. The plant is expected to be commissioned within 10 years.

Rosatom, as the leader of an international consortium, will oversee the project across the full implementation cycle, including design, procurement, construction, commissioning and delivery of the completed facility to the customer.

The company is currently continuing site surveys for the planned plant. The survey work is expected to be completed in 2027, after which engineers will prepare the documentation required to obtain permits for construction of the power units.

The project builds on a 2025 roadmap signed by Rosatom and Kazakhstan for the construction of two VVER-1200 nuclear power units. Rosatom was subsequently designated as the consortium leader for the project, while site investigations near the settlement of Ulken began in August 2025. The planned nuclear plant was named Balkhash.

By Tamilla Hasanova