Rosatom expects to begin actively building nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan in 2027 - Likhachev
MOSCOW. May 27 (Interfax) - Rosatom is hoping to start active construction work on the nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan in 2027, CEO Alexei Likhachev told journalists.
The timing of the construction will depend on the customer, while the main parameters will be set by the Kazakh government, Likhachev said.
"We expect to start rolling out the construction base next year. Simultaneously we will begin preparing the technical documentation for obtaining a license," he said.
Rosatom will do all it can to ensure the NPP starts operating in the mid-2030s. Commissioning will occur in stages, with an 8-10 month gap between the first and second power units.
Rosatom expects to sign a number of documents related to the NPP project in the coming days.
"Two intergovernmental agreements are being finalized: the plant and project agreement, as well as the financial agreement. I very much hope we'll sign these documents tomorrow," Likhachev said.
In addition, the main text of the contract, including pricing and the project schedule, will be initialed in the coming days, he said.
Likhachev also said Rosatom saw no problems with involving other countries in the NPP project. Rosatom is aware that Kazakhstan's government has been talking to vendors from China, France, and South Korea. Some of them are working on Rosatom projects in Egypt, Turkey and Hungary.
In terms of the project to build Kazakhstan's second NPP, the country has not yet made any official statements on its decisions regarding the configuration or the location, Likhachev said.
"As soon as we receive this information, we will move on to practical negotiations immediately," he said.
Rosatom signed a roadmap with Kazakhstan in 2025 for the construction of two VVER-1200 reactor units and will lead the consortium delivering the project. Its specialists started drilling the first exploratory borehole and soil sampling at the site near the village of Ulken in the Almaty region in August 2025. Kazakhstan's first NPP will be named Balkhash.
