At the Government session chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Minister of Energy Almassadam Satkaliyev informed about the prospects for the development of nuclear power in Kazakhstan, El.kz cites primeminister.kz.
Minister of Energy in his report noted that the steady growth of the country's economy is accompanied by an increased demand for electricity. For the implementation of new projects in such sectors as industry, metallurgy, transport, IT, pharmaceuticals, processing of agricultural products, etc., a significant amount of electricity is already needed. These projects are aimed at creating new jobs, stimulating economic growth and improving the welfare of citizens. However, their development is hampered by the lack of energy capacity in the country.
Almassadam Satkaliyev emphasised that the situation could become more complicated if urgent measures are not taken to build new sustainable energy sources such as renewable, regulating and baseload capacities.
The main share of electricity generation today is accounted for by coal-fired plants, which provide 66 per cent of generation. The RES sector shows growth: the number of facilities has reached 148 with a generation share of about 6%. According to the Ministry of Energy forecasts, by 2035, electricity consumption in Kazakhstan will grow to 152.4 billion kWh. At the same time, the output of existing energy sources will decrease to less than 135 billion kWh for a number of objective reasons. Therefore, in the next 10 years Kazakhstan needs to commission new generating facilities with a total capacity of 26.5 GW.
The Ministry is working in this direction. 22 investment agreements on modernisation and expansion of existing power plants at the expense of private investments have been concluded. A portfolio of projects for the construction of manoeuvre gas-fired power plants in Ulytau, Kyzylorda, Turkestan regions, Almaty with a total capacity of over 3,500 MW is being implemented. Measures are being taken to build new cogeneration plants.
"Now the world is moving towards carbon neutrality. International financial institutions refuse to invest in the construction of coal-fired power plants. At the same time, we cannot realise large-scale commissioning of gas-fired generation due to limited gas resources in the country. In turn, renewable energy sources cannot serve as a reliable basic source of power generation due to their dependence on natural and climatic conditions that make their operation unpredictable. As world practice shows, construction of a nuclear power plant seems to be the only true solution to replace retiring capacities and ensure energy independence of Kazakhstan. At the present stage, there is no alternative to nuclear power plants,"Almassadam Satkaliyev emphasised.
The Minister said that the role of nuclear power in achieving carbon neutrality was first noted at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which resulted in the signing of the International Declaration on a three-fold increase in the use of nuclear energy by 2050.
There are 415 nuclear reactors in operation in the world today with an installed capacity of 374 GW. Together they provide about 10 per cent of the world's electricity. There are 61 reactors under construction. At the same time, Kazakhstan has all the necessary conditions for the development of nuclear energy. The country ranks first in the world in terms of natural uranium production and has an almost complete nuclear fuel cycle. Together with international partners (USA, China, France and Russia), work is underway to develop uranium conversion and enrichment stages.
Thus, in 2021, a plant for the production of finished nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants was opened on the basis of the Ulba Metallurgical Plant, the products of which are already exported to China.
The world's first fast neutron nuclear reactor (BN-350) was successfully operated in Aktau for 25 years. There are also research reactors at the National Nuclear Centre and the Institute of Nuclear Physics, where scientific research in the field of ensuring the safety of nuclear energy is carried out. Their results have already found practical application at operating nuclear power plants around the world. In recognition of their achievements, a group of scientists from the National Nuclear Centre was awarded the Al-Farabi State Prize in Science and Technology by the Head of State last year.
"The construction of the NPP will not only solve energy and environmental problems, but also open new opportunities for the development of scientific research and educational programmes. Joint projects with international partners will help bring Kazakhstan to a new level not only as a world leader in uranium mining, but also in high-tech solutions in the nuclear industry. These include the production of radioisotopes for the medical and oil and gas sectors, semiconductors and printed circuit boards. The construction of the nuclear power plant will increase the level of competence in the production of materials and equipment, will make a significant contribution to the development of technologies in the country, providing an inflow of investments and tax revenues to the budget," the Minister of Energy emphasised.
It is expected that about 8 thousand jobs will be created in Kazakhstan at the stage of project implementation, and 2 thousand people will be employed during operation. At the same time, each job at the NPP will create up to 10 jobs in related industries, which will have a significant positive impact on the labour market and the development of the entire region.
"The construction of NPP in Kazakhstan will strengthen our energy independence and bring a significant multiplier effect for the country's economy, becoming a key step towards the implementation of the adopted Carbon Neutrality Strategy until 2060. An important stage on the way to the implementation of this project will be a referendum on the feasibility of NPP construction. This event will give the population of the country an opportunity to express their opinion and determine the further vector of development of the energy sector," Almassadam Satkaliyev concluded.