Kazakhstan Signs Key Contract for Its First Nuclear Power Plant

Kazakhstan has signed a key contract with Rosatom’s engineering arm for its first nuclear power plant, moving the project into what officials called a new practical stage.

Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants LLP and Atomstroyexport, a company within the Rosatom state corporation, signed the document in Vladivostok during the 11th Eastern Economic Forum. The ceremony was attended by Almassadam Satkaliyev, chairman of Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency, and Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev.

The parties must complete required procedures, including securing approvals from Kazakhstan’s government under an intergovernmental agreement dated May 28, 2026. Officials did not disclose the contract’s value or the precise timetable for implementation.

The agency said local content would receive special attention. Kazakh companies and specialists are expected to take part in construction as much as possible, alongside the use of domestically produced goods, works and services. Officials also expect the project to support new industries, technology introduction and the training of qualified personnel.

The plant is intended to provide stable baseload electricity as demand grows from industry, infrastructure, digital services and artificial-intelligence systems. Kazakhstan decided to build a nuclear plant after a nationwide referendum on Oct. 6, 2024. Official results showed 5,561,937 voters, or 71.12% of those who voted, supported the initiative. Rosatom was selected in June 2025 to lead the international construction consortium, and engineering surveys began two months later near Ulken in Almaty Region. The planned facility was subsequently named the Balqash Nuclear Power Plant, with active construction previously scheduled to start in 2027.

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The signing of the contract marks the transition of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant project to a new practical stage.