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Re: Kazakhstan

par energy_isere » 16 mars 2024, 22:31

Chevron Oil Project in Kazakhstan to Cost $48.5B

by Bloomberg|Nariman Gizitdinov | Friday, March 15, 2024

A major development led by Chevron Corp. to boost oil output at Kazakhstan’s Tengiz field will cost about $48.5 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

The US oil giant said at its third-quarter earnings in October that the budget for Tengiz, previously set at $45.2 billion, was rising by about 4 percent due to a slower than expected startup. There will be a further $1.5 billion of spending on the project, the people said, asking not to be named because the information isn’t public.

Chevron said in a statement on Thursday that its guidance for the total project cost of the Tengiz expansion “remains unchanged from the ranges we provided in our most recent earnings calls,” which was for an increase of 3 percent to 5 percent.

In addition to the project’s target cost of $45.2 billion, the company said in July 2021 that there was a contingency of $1.9 billion to recognize schedule uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The expansion of the Tengizchevroil venture, known as the Future Growth Project, has delayed its full startup into the second quarter of next year. The project has gone well beyond its initial budget of $37 billion and the completion date had already been rescheduled twice from the original plan of mid-2022.

Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tengizchevroil is 50 percent owned by Chevron, while Exxon Mobil Corp. and state-owned KazMunayGas have a 25 percent and 20 percent stake in the venture, respectively.
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/chevr ... 1-article/

Re: Kazakhstan

par energy_isere » 03 févr. 2024, 15:34

energy_isere a écrit :
03 févr. 2024, 14:35

je ne comprends pas ce jargon de tU basis et attributable
j' ai posé la question à Copilot dans Windows10

réponse :

Tonne Basis (tonne brute) : Cela fait référence à la masse totale d’uranium extraite et traitée, y compris les impuretés et les matières non utilisables. C’est la quantité d’uranium extraite avant tout traitement ou enrichissement.

Tonne Attributable (tonne récupérable) : Cela représente la masse d’uranium récupérable, c’est-à-dire la quantité d’uranium qui peut être utilisée comme combustible nucléaire après traitement et enrichissement. Elle exclut les impuretés et les matières non utilisables.

Re: Kazakhstan

par energy_isere » 03 févr. 2024, 14:35

Kazatomprom confirms 2024 production plans as acid woes continue

01 February 2024

The Kazakh national atomic company said it expects to see a "modest" growth in 2024 production despite adjustments to its previously announced production plans related to the availability of sulphuric acid and construction delays at newly developed deposits.

Image
Image: Kazatomprom

Kazatomprom's 2023 production was 21,112 tU on a 100% basis (11,169 tU attributable), which the company said was slightly lower than 2022 production "primarily due to an insignificant decrease in the production plan for 2023, compared to 2022". 2024 uranium production volumes are expected to be 21,000-22,500 tU on a 100% basis (10,900-11,900 tU attributable), it said in its quarterly operations and trading update. For the majority of its mining operations, it expects that production volumes will be about 20% below the amount stipulated in subsoil use agreements.

The company had previously - in August 2022 - said it planned to increase its 2024 uranium production to a 90% level relative to its subsoil use agreements, which would have been the highest production against subsoil agreements since the company's 2017 decision to flex down production in response to supply and demand considerations. But in January this year, Kazatomprom said it expected to adjust the volume because of the challenges it is now facing.

Sulphuric acid is a key reagent in Kazatomprom's in-situ leach operations, but around 60% of the world's supply of the commodity is used for fertiliser production. Growing demand from the agricultural sector and a combination of factors such as supply chain disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty have led to domestic and regional shortages over the past few years. Current demand affects both availability and pricing, with a 33.6% increase in Kazatomprom's weighted average cost of sulphuric acid during 2023.

Kazatomprom said it is "actively engaged in discussions with sulphuric acid manufacturers in the neighbouring countries to augment the supply volumes for 2024" and is "actively pursuing" alternative sources for procurement. "Looking ahead in the medium term, the deficit is expected to alleviate as a result of the potential increase in sulphuric acid supply from local non-ferrous metals mining and smelting operations. The Company also intends to enhance its in-house sulphuric acid production capacity by constructing a new plant," it added.

In 2023, Kazatomprom founded a new partnership enterprise - Taiqonyr Qyshqyl Zauyty LLP (TQZ) - to implement the construction of a new 800,000-tonnes per year sulphuric acid plant. TQZ is now owned by Kazatomprom subsidiaries Kazatomprom-SaUran (75%) and RU-6 (25%). Italian firm Ballestra is to assume responsibility for the project's design, equipment procurement, and provision of technical support following the signature of a strategic partnership in January.

When combined with existing in-house production capacities of the SKZ-U and SSAP partnerships, in which it is a partner, Kazatomprom said it envisions a consolidated sulphuric acid production volume of around 1.5 million tonnes.

Market strategy

Kazatomprom said it remains committed to its "market-centric strategy", creating long-term value for its shareholders and remains committed to its 2024 contractual obligations to all existing clients, using some of its inventory to do this.

"The company has a comfortable level of inventories to fulfil its existing contractual commitments in 2024 and will persist in ensuring the availability of essential inventory levels, thereby ensuring its capability to fulfil delivery commitments while optimising resource utilisation," Kazatomprom said. "Additionally, we usually reserve a segment of our annual production as uncommitted. This approach enables us to capitalise on emerging opportunities and adapt to fluctuations in the market landscape. This strategic approach enables the Company to mitigate risks effectively and uphold our contractual obligations to clients, even amidst production-related challenges."

Production plans for 2025 could be "unfavourably" influenced if access to sulphuric acid continues to be limited through 2024 and delays in construction at Kazatomprom's newly developed deposits are not reduced, the company said, and previously announced plans to return to a 100% production level relative to subsoil use agreements in 2025 "may be at risk".
https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Arti ... ns-as-acid

je ne comprends pas ce jargon de tU basis et attributable

Re: Kazakhstan

par energy_isere » 27 janv. 2024, 15:19

Electricity Deficit Widens in Kazakhstan Despite Rising Production

By Eurasianet - Jan 26, 2024,

Energy officials in Kazakhstan have forecast that electricity shortfalls will deepen in the coming two years, thereby increasing reliance on imports and heightening the risk of unscheduled blackouts.

News outlet LS reported on January 25, citing Energy Ministry data, that power consumption this year is expected to reach 120.6 billion kilowatt hours, while production will lag behind at 118.3 kilowatt hours. Demand and production will both grow in 2025, but the deficit will widen to 3.3 billion kilowatt hours, the ministry is predicting.
Some relief is anticipated in 2026 and 2027, when the government expects production to outstrip demand.

But deficits will again be a feature in the three years that follow, according to a government forecast covering the 2024-2030 period.

Inability to provide domestically for the whole country’s electricity needs is partly about rising demand, but the problem is also rooted in the fact that the electricity grid is split into three geographically distinct areas: the north, the south and the west.

What is known as the western zone is anticipated to produce power in excess of domestic needs this year, but as it is not connected to the linked north-south grid, that excess cannot be delivered to consumers where the need is greatest.

Energy officials anticipate that a project to link the western zone to the rest of the national grid will be completed by 2028, thereby putting in place the infrastructure required to even out the current imbalance between the three zones.

Kazakhstan’s power grid is linked internationally with neighbors Russia, China, and several Central Asian nations to the south.
The most contentious proposed long-term solution for Kazakhstan’s ever-growing electricity needs is to build a nuclear power plant.

In September, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sought to distance himself from having to take a final decision on the matter by announcing a referendum. He has previously expressed support for the idea, though.

At a government meeting in February 2022, Tokayev argued that without nuclear power, Kazakhstan stands to “lose its entire economy,” adding that nuclear skeptics were “populists who do not understand economic realities.”

No date has yet been set for the vote.
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-Gene ... ction.html

Re: Kazakhstan

par energy_isere » 13 janv. 2024, 20:50

World’s Largest Uranium Miner Will Miss Production Targets

By Julianne Geiger - Jan 12, 2024

The world’s largest uranium miner issued a dire warning on Friday concerning its production outlook for 2024, sparking fears that nuclear fuel supply could be at risk.

London-based Kazatomprom—the largest uranium miner in the world—said on Friday that sulfuric acid shortages and construction delays at newly discovered deposits could lead to the company missing production targets—challenges that could remain into next year.

Uranium supply is already under threat, with spot prices for yellowcake-uranium concentrate used in nuclear power generation reaching a new 16-year high at $92.45 per pound this week. And analysts—including BofA—were already forecasting that the continued market tightness could lead to prices that reach more than $100, calling it a “third bull market”.

That was before Kazatomprom said it that while it was committed to fulfilling its contractual obligations for existing customers in 2024, 2025 plans would be subject to “considerable supply chain risks,” Bloomberg said on Friday.

Public sentiment surrounding nuclear energy has improved over the last year as governments attempt to balance energy independence and persistent calls for attention to climate concerns. Nuclear power—while getting a bad rap over some signficant nuclear disasters— has been hailed as a carbon-free energy source while serving as a baseload power source superior to the variability of solar and wind power sources.

Kazatomprom, controlled by the Kazakhstan government’s sovereign wealth fund, said it would detail the likely effect the sulfuric acid shortage and construction delays will have on its output in a trading update by February 1.

Kazakhstan is the largest producer and exporter of uranium globally, mining and exporting more than 40% of the world’s supply, according to The Jamestown Foundation. According to the Foundation, Kazakhstan has been the leading supplier of uranium to Russia, which uses more than twice as many tons of uranium as its domestic mines produce.
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News ... rgets.html

Re: Kazakhstan

par energy_isere » 02 déc. 2023, 14:57

Le Kazakhstan signe des accords pour la construction de sites éoliens

Reuters 2 dec 2023

Le Kazakhstan a signé samedi des accords avec les groupes français TotalEnergies , émirati Masdar et saoudien ACWA Power pour construire des parcs éoliens d'une capacité totale de trois gigawatts (GW), a annoncé le gouvernement kazakh.

Les sites seront installés dans la région de Zhambyl (Sud), à Jetysu (Sud-Est) et aux alentours de Kostanai ou d'Akmola, dans le Nord, a-t-il précisé.

Le bureau du président Kassym-Jomart Tokayev a fait savoir dans un communiqué distinct que le projet de 1 GW de Zhetysu discuté avec ACWA Power lors de sa visite aux Émirats arabes unis coûterait 1,8 milliard de dollars.

Le cabinet également déclaré que la société publique KazMunayGaz avait accepté de créer une coentreprise de construction navale avec Abu Dhabi PorGroupoup et que le groupe minier Kazatomprom avait signé un accord de fourniture d'uranium avec Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation.
https://www.msn.com/fr-fr/finance/other ... b131&ei=38

Re: Kazakhstan

par energy_isere » 10 nov. 2023, 00:04

Poutine au Kazakhstan pour cimenter son influence chez "son plus proche allié"

AFP•09/11/2023

Image
Le président russe Vladimir Poutine (d) et son homologue kazakh Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev passent en revue la garde d'honneur lors d'une cérémonie de bienvenue, le 9 novembre 2023 à Astana, au Kazakhstan ( AFP / Stanislav FILIPPOV )

Le président russe Vladimir Poutine a vanté jeudi au Kazakhstan l'état des relations avec ce pays qu'il a qualifié de "plus proche allié", un pays pourtant de plus en plus courtisé par les grandes puissances contestant l'influence traditionnelle de Moscou en Asie centrale.
.........................
https://www.boursorama.com/actualite-ec ... 898b64d2a9

Re: Kazakhstan

par phyvette » 01 nov. 2023, 14:38

energy_isere a écrit :
01 nov. 2023, 12:48
La future mine de South Tortkuduk
La il faut faire gaffe à l'écrit, ou à l'oral de ne pas intervertir, le K et le D.

Re: Kazakhstan

par energy_isere » 01 nov. 2023, 14:33

kercoz a écrit :
01 nov. 2023, 14:22
https://www.google.com/maps/@49.6687969 ... ?entry=ttu
Macron doit etre sérieusement en manque d'uranium pour draguer dans ce coin ! c'est à 10h d'avion , coincé entre la Russie et la Chine ....en plein sur le Bd de la Soie ;..peuplé de 70% de musulmans.
il a bien été en Mongolie en Mai, c'est encore plus loin.

et le Kazakhstan est le premier minier mondial d' Uranium. Normal d'aller s'y approvisionner.

Re: Kazakhstan

par kercoz » 01 nov. 2023, 14:22

https://www.google.com/maps/@49.6687969 ... ?entry=ttu
Macron doit etre sérieusement en manque d'uranium pour draguer dans ce coin ! c'est à 10h d'avion , coincé entre la Russie et la Chine ....en plein sur le Bd de la Soie ;..peuplé de 70% de musulmans.

Re: Kazakhstan

par energy_isere » 01 nov. 2023, 12:48

Orano creuse le filon de l’uranium du Kazakhstan

Article de Nicolas Stiel 1 nov 2023

Image
La future mine de South Tortkuduk

Sous pression au Niger, où sa production est à l’arrêt, le français investit dans ses très rentables gisements d’Asie centrale. Une présence stratégique pour répondre à la croissance mondiale du nucléaire.

Emmanuel Macron est en visite au Kazakhstan ce 1er novembre. L’objectif, dixit l’Elysée : « Soutenir l’effort de souveraineté du président Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev face à la Russie et à la Chine ». Coincée entre ces deux puissants voisins, la république d’Asie centrale, grande comme cinq fois la France, est très courtisée. Notamment pour ses sous-sols gorgés de pétrole, gaz, chrome, terres rares et… uranium. Le Kazakhstan en est de loin le leader, fournissant près de 43 % de la production mondiale de ce minerai. Parmi la délégation de chefs d’entreprise accompagnant le chef de l’Etat à Astana, figure donc au premier rang Claude Imauven, président du conseil d’administration d’Orano (ex-Areva).

Extraction économe

Le spécialiste du combustible nucléaire est une des plus importantes entreprises françaises implantées dans le pays, depuis qu’elle a noué en 1996 une coentreprise avec le groupe minier national Kazatomprom, Katco, qu’elle détient à 51 %. Les deux mines d’uranium que Katco exploite à Tortkuduk et Muyunkum, dans les steppes des contreforts de la montagne Karataou, à plus de 1 000 km au sud d’Astana, sont les joyaux d’Orano. Sur place, d’énormes foreuses s’activent dans un bruit sourd à creuser dans le sol sablonneux. Ici, pas de mine à ciel ouvert ni de dédale souterrain, l’uranium est extrait du sol selon la technologie de la récupération in situ (ISR). Ce procédé consiste à injecter dans les puits une solution acide afin de dissoudre l’uranium. La mixture est pompée jusqu’à la surface puis acheminée dans un pipeline vers une usine. Mélangé à une résine et à de l’ammoniaque, le « jus » uranifère devient alors solide, prêt à être commercialisé.

L’avantage : en évitant plusieurs étapes du processus minier classique – le concassage de la roche, le transport par camions, le creusement de galeries –, la méthode d’extraction ISR consomme moins d’énergie et a donc des coûts de production plus faibles, « environ deux fois moins élevés que ceux de la mine d’Orano au Niger, indique Pascal Bastien, directeur général de Katco. L’activité ici a toujours été profitable, même en 2017 quand les prix spot de l’uranium étaient au plus bas, à 17 dollars la livre. »

Forte demande

Aujourd’hui, portés par le dérèglement climatique et les tensions géopolitiques qui ont ranimé l’intérêt pour l’électricité nucléaire, les cours sont remontés en flèche, jusqu’à près de 70 dollars. Le niveau le plus élevé depuis la catastrophe de Fukushima en 2011. A l’heure où le Japon rebranche des réacteurs, où la Chine en construit 25, où la France a le projet d’en bâtir 6, la demande pourrait presque doubler d’ici à 2040, à 130 000 tonnes par an contre 65 650 tonnes actuellement. Les producteurs d’uranium sont donc sous tension, et particulièrement Orano, qui, après le coup d’Etat au Niger en juillet, a dû mettre son usine de Somaïr (environ 1 000 tonnes par an) à l’arrêt faute de pouvoir se fournir en produits chimiques.

Après le Canada (5 000 tonnes par an), les mines kazakhes de Katco sont les plus importantes pour l’entreprise d’Etat française, pesant pour 25 % de sa production d’environ 8 000 tonnes chaque année. Une part vendue à 100 % à la Chine, limitrophe. En effet, si Orano est le principal fournisseur d’EDF, dont il comble 40 % des besoins du parc nucléaire, il n’est pas le seul. Pour limiter les risques, l’électricien a diversifié ses sources d’approvisionnement depuis une quinzaine d’années, achetant auprès d’autres groupes miniers, tels le canadien Cameco et Kazatomprom. De son côté, Orano vend son uranium à d’autres énergéticiens de l’atome, comme le chinois CNNC.

Actives depuis 2006, les stratégiques Tortkuduk et Muyunkum ont cependant vu leur rendement chuter de moitié en une décennie, à 2 100 tonnes. « On a commencé par prendre la crème du gâteau, dit un responsable français de Katco. Les miettes qui restent sont moins sucrées, mais ça vaut le coup d’aller les chercher. » Mais cette baisse n’est pas du goût de son partenaire local. « Les mines de Katco sont les plus profitables d’Orano, mais pas les plus profitables de Kazatomprom, taclait en septembre Yerzhan Mukanov, son ex-directeur général, remplacé le 2 octobre par le directeur financier, Meirzan Yussupov. Pour gagner plus d’argent, l’entreprise doit réduire ses coûts de production, notamment dans ses achats d’acides, de nitrates et de pipelines. » Directeur client et stratégie d’Orano, Jacques Peythieu confirme que les mines de Katco produisent en dessous de leur capacité. « Il y a eu une crise de la production d’acide sulfurique, liée à la fois à une demande en augmentation et à la perturbation logistique du fait de la guerre en Ukraine », justifie-t-il.

Gains de compétitivité

Pour accélérer la cadence, Katco a acquis deux foreuses allemandes Prakla, bien plus puissantes que les traditionnelles Zif d’origine soviétique. Payés environ 400 euros par mois, le double du salaire moyen kazakh, les 500 foreurs de Tortkuduk s’activent pour faire remonter la production : ils tournent deux semaines de suite sept jours sur sept en deux équipes de douze heures. Un travail exigeant, surtout l’hiver quand le thermomètre descend à - 30 degrés. Tortkuduk et Muyunkum devraient arriver à épuisement en 2027 et 2030. En août 2022, Katco a signé avec l’Etat pour l’exploitation d’une nouvelle mine sur la parcelle, South Tortkuduk, qui devrait entrer en service l’an prochain. Katco y a investi 190 millions de dollars. « Les réserves du nouveau site s’élèvent à 45 000 tonnes, indique Pascal Bastien. A partir de 2026, on espère produire 4 000 tonnes d’uranium par an. »

Au moment où le marché du nucléaire repart, Orano doit impérativement disposer de nouveaux moyens de production. Il vient de signer, le mois dernier, un accord pour exploiter une future mine en Mongolie, potentiellement l’un des plus grands gisements au monde. En attendant, Claude Imauven entend bien profiter du voyage présidentiel au Kazakhstan pour élargir la success story de Katco.

Nicolas Stiel, envoyé spécial au Kazakhstan
https://www.msn.com/fr-fr/finance/other ... 2f46b&ei=6

Re: Kazakhstan

par energy_isere » 01 nov. 2023, 09:46

E.Macron actuellement au Kazakhstan.
....................
La France est le cinquième investisseur étranger au Kazakhstan, devant la Chine, du fait notamment de l'implantation du groupe pétrolier TotalEnergies, qui exploite conjointement l'important gisement de Kachagan en mer Caspienne.

Les échanges bilatéraux se sont élevés à 5,3 milliards d'euros en 2022, pour l'essentiel dans les hydrocarbures. Le Kazakhstan fournit aussi à la France près de 40% de son uranium.
....................
https://www.connaissancedesenergies.org ... ise-231101

Re: Kazakhstan

par energy_isere » 30 oct. 2023, 22:56

Le Kazakhstan va recevoir le président E.Macron cette semaine.

https://www.connaissancedesenergies.org ... nce-231030

Re: Kazakhstan

par energy_isere » 30 sept. 2023, 00:28

Kazatomprom plans 2025 uranium production increase

29 September 2023

The board of the Kazakh uranium producer has approved a strategy to increase production volumes in 2025, returning to a 100% level relative to its subsoil use agreements for the first time since 2018 and adding up to 6,000 tU to anticipated global primary supply.

The decision was made amid improved uranium market conditions and successful medium- and long-term contracting activity with both new and existing customers, the company said in its 2025 production plan which it has released. It says 2025 production is now expected to be between 30,500 tU and 31,500 tU (on a 100% basis).

Kazatomprom announced in 2017 that it would "flex down" production by 20% below its subsoil use agreements from the start of 2018 for three years - which it subsequently extended - to better match supply with demand. However, in August 2022 it announced plans to increase uranium production in 2024 to 10% below its subsoil use agreements. The additional volumes that are expected to be produced in 2025 will be used to meet contractual obligations under medium and long-term contracts, the company said.

Kazatomprom remains committed to its market-centric strategy and its disciplined approach to production but is "excited to witness the start of a long-awaited historical shift in the uranium market", Chief Commercial Officer Dastan Kosherbayev said, adding that it has shown "strong market discipline for seven consecutive years" in keeping its production 20% below the total subsoil use agreements.

"Consistent with our market-centric strategy, our intention to return to a 100% level of Subsoil Use Contracts production volumes in 2025 is primarily driven by our strong contract-book and already growing sales portfolio against conservative 2023-2024 production scenario," he said. "As we are seeing a clear sign that the industry has entered into the new long-term contracting cycle, driven by the recognition of the restocking needs, Kazatomprom, with its best-class and lowest cost mines, is absolutely prepared to respond to these improving market conditions. Our current contract book provides sufficient confidence that the additional volume in 2025 will have a secure place in the market and be needed to fulfil future contractual obligations."

The company said it will now begin working with its joint venture partners and mining subsidiaries to incorporate the necessary changes into its 2024 budgets and development plans for the 2025 increase in production volumes, but added that it will "continue to monitor ongoing market developments and maintain the flexibility to react quickly to changing conditions". No decision has yet been taken regarding mine development activity and production volumes beyond 2025, it said, and geopolitical uncertainty and global supply chain issues along with high inflationary pressure "remain existent and the Company may therefore potentially face challenges in increasing production significantly above stated levels".

Kazatomprom, through its subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates, produces uranium from 26 uranium deposits grouped into 14 mining assets, all using in-situ leach technology. Subsoil use contracts are agreements with the Kazakh government covering the production of uranium by in-situ leach methods.
https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Arti ... n-increase

Re: Kazakhstan

par energy_isere » 02 sept. 2023, 13:21

Kazakh people to decide on nuclear plant construction

01 September 2023

Kazakhstan is to hold a referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant in the country, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced during a state-of-the-nation address. The date of the vote has yet to be determined.

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Energy has proposed the potential reintroduction of nuclear power to reduce the country's reliance on fossil fuels, diversify its energy mix and reduce CO2 emissions. Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP), which has been designated as the owner/operator of the future plant, began preparing a feasibility study in 2018 to justify the need for nuclear power, the choice of the location for plant construction and to review the plant's projected power output.

"The development of nuclear energy has become a very important economic and political issue," Tokayev said. "You know that there are different opinions on the question of whether it is necessary to build a nuclear power plant or not."

He noted that, as the world's largest producer of uranium, Kazakhstan has "every right to build a nuclear power plant in our country". He added: "Some experts believe that small nuclear power plants should be built. However, many citizens and some experts are skeptical about the safety of nuclear power plants. That's why we need to continue public hearings, detailed, wide-ranging discussions on this issue. We need to take the final decision on important strategic issues through a referendum."

The Ministry of Energy said that, "together with the relevant state bodies, members of Parliament, experts in this field and public activists", it will soon "thoroughly review all issues of the implementation of the President's order, work out other aspects and inform the public about these works".

The ministry also said it is necessary to "determine the concept of the issue to be put to the people's vote". It said the date of the referendum would be announced later.

"In my opinion, the referendum will first of all be aimed at the citizens of Kazakhstan expressing their thoughts about the need for the development of technologies in this field, and the government will propose solutions suitable for the society," said Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev.

Last month, the Ministry of Energy issued an update on progress towards the construction of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant, confirming the selection of Ulken in the Zhambyl district of Almaty region as the most suitable area for the plant for which four potential suppliers had been shortlisted.

Under Kazakhstan's nuclear energy law, construction of a nuclear plant requires local agreement. The law requires public discussions, which aim to determine the attitude of local people to the idea of building a nuclear power plant in their territory. Kazakhstan's Ecological Code requires public hearings to evaluate the project documentation on the construction of the nuclear power plant. The akimat, or local government, of the Almaty region has now begun these public discussions, the ministry said.

"In the local discussions, the residents supported the development of nuclear energy in the region and said that the project will be an impetus for the social and economic development of the region," the ministry said.

Four foreign potential suppliers of nuclear technology are being considered by Kazakhstan, the ministry said in January. These are EDF of France, China National Nuclear Corporation, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Rosatom of Russia.

A Russian-designed BN-350 sodium-cooled fast reactor operated near Aktau in Kazakhstan for 26 years until 1999, generating electricity and desalinating water. Kazakhstan currently operates research reactors as well as several other nuclear installations related to the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium mining.
https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Arti ... -construct

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