Kazakhstan Expands Civilian Nuclear Energy Cooperation with the United States

Kazakhstan, which accounts for 40% of the world's uranium production, has made small modular reactors a new focus of cooperation with the United States after launching construction of its first nuclear power plant on the shores of Lake Balkhash.

As a major global supplier of uranium, Kazakhstan has long relied on fossil fuels for its domestic electricity supply. In October 2024, Kazakhstan approved its nuclear power plant construction plan through a national referendum, with 71.12% of voters voting in favor, opening a new chapter in the country's nuclear energy development.

Subsequently, in 2025, Kazakhstan selected Rosatom, the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation, to build its first nuclear power plant in Urken, near Lake Balkhash. The plant will use two VVER-1200 reactors, with a designed installed capacity of 2.4 gigawatts and a total investment of approximately US$14 billion to US$15 billion. It is expected to be completed between 2035 and 2036.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is actively expanding diversified international cooperation. In late December 2025, the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan announced the launch of two collaborative initiatives under the U.S. State Department's Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactors (FIRST) program, focusing on personnel training and technical assessments to support Kazakhstan's preparations to restart nuclear power construction.

01 Power Shortage and Low-Carbon Transition: Nuclear Energy as a Driving Force in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's energy structure is facing severe challenges. Despite being the world's largest uranium producer, Kazakhstan's domestic power generation relies heavily on fossil fuels, a situation President Tokayev described as a "historic absurdity."

The government's energy planning department warns that Kazakhstan could face increasingly severe power shortages as early as the mid-2020s due to aging coal-fired power plants and increasing consumption.

Coal-fired power plants currently supply most of the country's electricity, particularly in the north, but most of their units are aging. With increasing industrial output and urbanization, electricity demand continues to rise, while the government has set targets to reduce emissions intensity.

Nuclear power is considered a stable, low-carbon source of baseload electricity, capable of supplementing the supply of renewable energy.

Kazakhstan's interest in nuclear energy reflects structural pressures in its power sector. Once completed, the nuclear power plant will be owned and operated by Kazakhstan, with Kazakhstan also supplying uranium raw materials and mastering the relevant technologies and processes.

02 Russia's Dominance and the Construction of the First Nuclear Power Plant

Construction of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant officially commenced in August 2025 in the Zhambyl district of Almaty region. In his address, Almasadam Satkaliev, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency of Kazakhstan, emphasized that the nuclear power plant is a strategic project for Kazakhstan and will become a key driver of the country's nuclear industry development, technological innovation, and long-term economic growth.

Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Rosatom, and local Kazakh officials attended the ceremony. At the launch ceremony, Rosatom displayed a model of the nuclear power plant and began drilling the first exploration wells to collect soil samples.

According to the plan, Rosatom, the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation, will drill 50 exploration wells over the next 18 months to assess the seismic stability, hydrogeological characteristics, locational economic benefits, and other key parameters of three candidate sites in the Zhambyl district, ultimately determining the site for the nuclear power plant.

Satkaliev stated that the construction of the nuclear power plant has received widespread support from residents of villages near the proposed site and the general public in Kazakhstan.

03 US FIRST Program and Cooperation on Small Modular Reactors

Cooperation between the United States and Kazakhstan in the field of nuclear energy is not a new phenomenon. In July 2022, Kazakhstan's Minister of Energy, Akshorakov, met with the US Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in Kazakhstan and representatives of the US Department of State's Bureau of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Security, and accepted the US invitation to participate in the US Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) project.

The FIRST program, launched by the US State Department in 2021, aims to assist partner countries in establishing regulatory frameworks, training personnel, and building infrastructure for advanced nuclear technologies. Kazakhstan became the first country in Central Asia to participate in the FIRST program. In late December 2025, the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan announced two collaborative initiatives under the FIRST program. The first initiative involves installing a classroom-based small modular reactor (SMR) simulator at the Kazakh Institute of Nuclear Physics in Almaty.

This simulator will be used to train professionals in reactor operation, safety systems, and emergency response. The American Nuclear Society reported that the simulator will be provided by Holtec International, a U.S. company, and WSC Inc., a simulation technology company under the Curtiss-Wright Group.

The second initiative is to conduct a feasibility study to assess which U.S.-designed SMRs are technically and economically suitable for Kazakhstan. This study will be conducted by the U.S. engineering firm Sargent & Lundy within the FIRST framework.

The assessment is expected to cover grid connection, site selection considerations, cooling requirements, and a rough deployment timeline.

04 Global Nuclear Energy Resurgence and Great Power Competition

Against the backdrop of global energy transition and the reshaping of the geopolitical landscape, the strategic value of nuclear energy is increasingly prominent. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released its annual report, raising its forecast for nuclear power expansion for the fifth consecutive year. In its high-prospective forecast, it projects that global nuclear power capacity will be 2.6 times that of 2024 by 2050, with small modular reactors (SMRs) playing a key role.

The United States is attempting to revitalize its nuclear energy industry. The Trump administration hopes to accelerate nuclear reactor technology research, initiating construction on 10 large nuclear reactors by 2030, quadrupling U.S. nuclear capacity from approximately 100 GWh in 2024 to 400 GWh in 2050.

The United States views nuclear energy as a crucial pillar of national security and strives to gain a dominant position in the current competition for advanced military energy technologies, new-type and new-domain combat platforms, global nuclear energy industry dominance, and the international nuclear governance system.

Meanwhile, China is also actively developing nuclear power technology. According to experts from the China Nuclear Energy Association, multiple domestic units have developed and formed 12 types of small modular reactor (SMR) technologies with different applications, power levels, and reactor types. These mainly include land-based water reactors, marine water reactors, high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, fast reactors, and molten salt reactors.

In China's long-term plan for exporting nuclear power, SMRs possess greater advantages and higher feasibility compared to large commercial nuclear power units.

05 Kazakhstan's Multifaceted Nuclear Diplomacy Strategy

Kazakhstan's nuclear energy strategy reflects a balanced diplomacy. While confirming its cooperation with Russia in building its first nuclear power plant, Kazakhstan is also advancing plans for a second nuclear power plant to be built by the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

Officials view SMRs as a complementary option, capable of supplying power to industrial bases or areas temporarily unable to connect to large new nuclear power plants.

Kazakhstan possesses 12% of the world's uranium resources, making it the world's largest uranium producer. However, for the past two decades, Kazakhstan's domestic power generation has primarily relied on fossil fuels.

President Tokayev has repeatedly pointed out that Kazakhstan's position as a leading global uranium producer provides a strong economic and strategic basis for developing its domestic nuclear power industry.

Regarding geopolitical competition with major powers, Kazakhstan maintains a balanced diplomatic strategy. In early November 2025, the United States and the five Central Asian countries held the "C5+1" summit in Washington. During President Tokayev's visit to the US, the two sides reached commercial agreements worth over $17 billion and signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in key minerals.

However, upon returning from Washington, Tokayev immediately paid a two-day state visit to Russia and signed a declaration elevating bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Clearly, Kazakhstan is well aware of Russia's influence in the region, which the United States cannot yet replace. From the Russia-Central Asia Summit to the Kazakh president's visit to Moscow, and then to the recent Collective Security Treaty Organization summit and Putin's visit to Kyrgyzstan, Russia has launched a series of measures to counter the US strategy in Central Asia, aiming to maintain and consolidate its traditional and strategic relations with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and other Central Asian countries.

With the commencement of construction on Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant, the country is gradually reversing the "historic absurdity" of being a major uranium resource nation without a nuclear power plant. Kazakhstan's nuclear energy development path highlights its balanced diplomatic strategy: on the one hand, cooperating with Russia to build large-scale nuclear power plants; on the other hand, cultivating small modular reactor (SMR) technology capabilities through the US FIRST program.

Amid the global nuclear energy resurgence and great power competition, Kazakhstan's uranium resource advantages and energy transition needs have jointly driven its nuclear energy program.

Nuclear energy will become an important component of Kazakhstan's infrastructure modernization, enhancing its position as a pillar of stability and growth in Central Asia.