Construction of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant has officially begun in the area of the village of Ulken in the Almaty Region.

According to AZERTAC, citing Kazinform, the event was attended by Chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan Almasadam Satkaliyev, Director General of the Russian state corporation Rosatom Alexey Likhachev, and other officials.

In his speech, Almasadam Satkaliyev noted that the current ceremony symbolizes the start of engineering and survey work — the main stage of preparations for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan. The results of this stage will determine not only the choice of the specific site and the plant’s configuration, but also its safety, reliability, and economic efficiency.

According to him, the nuclear power plant construction project is being implemented with public support.

The Kazakh official added, “The total investment in the project will amount to about 14–15 billion dollars. Another 1 billion dollars will be allocated for the construction of social facilities and modern infrastructure.”