Kazakhstan, Rosatom making preparations for nuclear power plant construction - Kazakh PM

ASTANA. Jan 11 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan and Russia's Rosatom are implementing a roadmap for preparations for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov said.

"Together with Rosatom, we have adopted a roadmap to make all necessary preparations [for the construction of a nuclear power plant]. As a result of this work, we will make a decision about the supplier of the nuclear island and other equipment. We will inform you once the decision is made. We will need an expert review [of the project], and the final decision is yet to be made," Smailov told journalists on Wednesday.

Rosatom has not yet been selected as the main supplier of technology for NPP construction, he said.

"The decision will be made this year after consultations with international experts," the prime minister said.

Kazakhstan intends to purchase equipment for the construction of its nuclear power plant from difference suppliers, according to Smailov.

"We would prefer that a number of companies that have the state-of-the-art technology should be involved in the construction of this facility. In other words, we would like it to be a transnational project that would combine the state-of-the-art technology from all over the world," the prime minister said.

Kazakh Energy Minister Bolat Akchulakov said earlier that the government will decide on the supplier of technology for the nuclear power plant in 2023. According to Samruk-Kazyna, Rosatom has an advantage in terms of technology it can offer compared with the other suppliers.

Kazakhstan plans to build an NPP near the Ulken village in the Almaty region, southeastern Kazakhstan. The construction could take up to ten years, with a power unit costing on average $5 billion, the Energy Ministry said. The country's projected energy balance for the period to 2035 includes a 2.4 gigawatt NPP as one option.