IAEA mission completes evaluation of Kazakh nuclear infrastructure for building NPP

ASTANA. April 3 (Interfax) - A team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has completed a four-day mission in Kazakhstan (March 28-31, 2023) for an Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR), the country's Ministry of Energy said in a statement on Saturday.

"The INIR mission team noted Kazakhstan's full compliance with the recommendations in the spheres of coordinating the nuclear power program, understanding the financing of an NPP, anti-disaster planning and handling radioactive waste," the statement said.

The experts noted the need for more work: to complete the integrated report, to determine how much funding is needed for the nuclear power infrastructure, to plan subsequent development of the regulating body and owner/operator, and to draw up a policy of engaging the industry.

Kazakhstan has achieved considerable progress in complying with the recommendations and proposals made by an INIR mission in 2016, INIR mission team leader Mehmet Ceyhan was quoted by the ministry's press service as saying. All these efforts will further support the Kazakh government in making a decision to commence the nuclear power program, he said.

The mission was in the capital, Astana, at the request of the Kazakh government, the ministry said.

"By hosting the INIR mission Kazakhstan demonstrated its keenness to receive an objective professional evaluation of the readiness of its nuclear power infrastructure. The INIR mission is for us a valuable tool of identifying which fields and areas need improvement and ensuring the accessibility of the infrastructure necessary to develop development the nuclear power of Kazakhstan," Deputy Energy Minister Zhandos Nurmaganbetov was quoted in the statement as saying.