Pouring concrete for foundation of Kazakhstan's first NPP due in 2029

ASTANA. Nov 21 (Interfax) - Construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan is supposed to begin in 2029, Nuclear Energy Agency head Almasadam Satkaliyev said.

"Nuclear industry specialists call this 'the first concrete'. A lot depends on the composition of equipment and project work. It is hard to tell for now. We're aiming for 2029 based on Russian projections," Satkaliyev told the press in Astana on Friday.

Rosatom will build Kazakhstan's first NPP. On August 8, specialists from Rosatom's engineering department started drilling the first exploration well and selecting soil samples at the future construction site of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant near the Ulken village of the Almaty district.

The Russian company and Kazakhstan have signed a roadmap for building two VVER-1200 reactor units. Construction will take about 11 years and may be completed in 2035-2036.

The government said that the second and third nuclear power plants in Kazakhstan may be built by the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).