President Tokayev Highlights Nuclear Power As Pillar For Kazakhstan's Economic Leap

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 17. The construction of nuclear power plants in Kazakhstan will mark a qualitative leap in the country's economic development, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during his speech at a ceremony dedicated to the Day of Energy Workers, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh President.

Tokayev further highlighted the strategic importance of the initiative amid global energy transformations

“The appearance of nuclear power plants on Kazakhstan's energy map will signify our country's transition to a qualitatively new level of economic development,” Tokayev stated.

Speaking on the global energy landscape, the President noted that the world is undergoing a period of fundamental change, characterized by intense competition for energy resources. He stressed that Kazakhstan's decision to build the Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant, followed by a second facility, will strengthen the country's energy potential and develop new competencies in the nuclear sector.

“The state must train a new generation of energy specialists and build the industry's capacity to meet emerging challenges,” Tokayev emphasized, underlining the broader economic and technological benefits of nuclear energy for Kazakhstan.

The strategic decision in 2025 has been the move toward a multi-plant architecture to bridge a base-load gap that intermittent renewables cannot fill. Construction of the first 2.4 GW plant by the Rosatom-led consortium is already in the engineering phase, with the first unit expected to come online by 2035.

In October 2025, the government officially designated the south as the site for a second nuclear facility, selecting China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) as the priority partner. This plant will specifically target the chronic energy deficits in southern Kazakhstan, which currently relies on aging north-south transit lines. Plans for a third facility in eastern Kazakhstan are also advancing, with China slated to lead this project as well. This "eastward tilt" allows Kazakhstan to balance Russian influence while leveraging China's faster construction timelines and lower cost structures.

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