Kazakhstan is the world’s top producer of uranium but has no nuclear power plant of its own. That could change with Sunday’s vote on the issue.
Kazakhstan voted on Sunday in a referendum on whether to construct the country’s first nuclear power plant to overcome chronic electricity shortages.
The result is to be announced on Monday.
The issue is a controversial one in the former Soviet republic, which was exposed to radiation on a massive scale during nuclear tests conducted by the USSR. The possible involvement of Russia in the project has also been of concern to some.
However, opposition to the project seems to have been repressed by the country’s government, with local private media reporting dozens of arrests of critics in the run-up to Sunday’s referendum.
With possible Russian involvement in the project, this does not sound like good news. But I hope it does get them off of their reliance on fossil fuels and not just transfer that current coal reliance to Russian oil while a nuclear plant never actually gets built.
https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/02/russias-influence-kazakhstan-increasing-despite-war-ukraine
I don’t know a lot about KZ’s current politics, but I know a little. The article talks about Russian involvement, which is interesting, given that Kazakhstan largely imports their oil from Russia. Their attempts to build nuclear have usually been opposed by Russia. Trying to figure out the play here.
Russia is also bidding to build the plant. I also wouldn’t be shocked if they would be the ones supplying the plant with fissile material.
Not likely. Kazakhstan is the world’s number one producer of Uranium. So unless the plant requires enrichment in a way that only Russia can provide, I would presume they’d be their own provider.
Actually, that would be very Russia.
The other way around then. A deal to provide fissile material to Russia.
IIRC, most fissile fuel, worldwide, is from Russia. I know most of France’s is.