China to build second Nuclear Power Plant in KazakhstanChina National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) will construct a second nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, according to Almaskadam Satkaliyev, chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency, told Vlast, a Kazakh news outlet."We plan to sign a separate general agreement with China on cooperation in the nuclear industry. We want to see Chinese technology used for another nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan," Satkaliyev said.He added that relevant negotiations with Chinese partners would follow.The announcement comes after Kazakhstan's Atomic Energy Agency named Russia's Rosatom as the lead consortium partner for the country's first nuclear plant earlier on Saturday. Rosatom secured the position ahead of CNNC, which ranked second in the vendor selection process, as well as France's Électricité de France and South Korea's Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, which tied for third.Kazakhstan has established an intergovernmental commission to oversee nuclear plant construction, with plans to form an international consortium for the projects. Agreements and contracts for the first plant are expected to be finalized by November 2025.Approved in a 2024 national referendum, the first nuclear plant will be built in the Zhambyl district of Almaty Region. The government is considering the city of Kurchatov in Abai Region as the potential site for the second facility.While initial plans targeted a 2035 completion for the first plant, Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry has since requested vendors to accelerate construction, aiming to operationalize the first reactor within eight years. The projects are estimated to cost $10-12 billion, with each reactor unit averaging $5 billion. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX