The authorities of Kazakhstan expect that the construction project of the future nuclear power plant (NPP) in the country will become international, Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov said in an interview with the Tengrinews news agency published on Friday.
"We are studying international experience in the construction and operation of nuclear power plants. These are South Korean, French, Chinese technologies, Russian technologies. We went to see Turkey's experience with the Akkuyu NPP, which is being built with Rosatom's participation. It's an international project, with equipment bought from renowned suppliers, independently reviewed by a French company. We found the Akkuyu construction experience very useful. We plan that the NPP project in Kazakhstan will also be international," he said.
The prime minister noted that the safety of the NPP operation is of prime importance. "Our delegation visited South Korea in June and France in July. Negotiations with Chinese suppliers are still going on. Based on the results of an in-depth study of international experience, nuclear technology suppliers will be brought in. Again, this will be an international project," explained Smailov.
The prime minister also pointed out that all this is under study. "The construction of a nuclear power plant is basically a long process, it takes about eight years. Without nuclear power, we will not be able to provide ourselves with energy security. It is dictated by life that we will need such generation. We probably won't be able to increase generation with coal, because the whole world is moving toward decarbonization. We must move to clean technology, and nuclear power generation is the answer to the challenge of our time," he stressed.
In this regard, the head of the cabinet drew attention to the fact that people should not be afraid of nuclear power plants. "We will choose the technology that is the safest, as well as those suppliers who are able to perform all the work on time. Allied sectors of our economy will develop around this industry. There will be a big positive effect on the development of our country as a whole," Smailov said.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: official website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
Based on materials from TASS