1 Oct (NucNet): Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom has signed a draft agreement for the construction and operation of the first commercial nuclear power station in Kazakhstan, the company said today.
Rosatom said the exact details of the proposed project, including the plant site and construction schedule, will be determined before a final contract is signed. The draft agreement allows for a “pre-contract period” for the partners to study the technical, financial and economic aspects of the project, Rosatom said.
The pre-contract period includes obtaining necessary licences and permits to start plant design and survey works, and the development of design and working documents.
The draft agreement also provides for cooperation in the establishment of a regulatory framework, personnel training and decommissioning.
An earlier memorandum of understanding between the two countries proposes the construction in Kazakhstan of Russian VVER reactors with installed capacity of 300 megawatts to 1,200 MW.
In June 2014, the Nuclear Society of Kazakhstan said construction of the first Kazakh nuclear power station could begin in 2018 if the government approves the project by the end of the year. If construction begins in 2018, the first reactor unit could begin commercial operation in 2023 or 2024, the society said.
The two countries also intend to cooperate on nuclear fuel supply to the proposed facility with the possibility of fabricating the fuel, or its components, in Kazakhstan.
According to the Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency, Kazakhstan was the world’s leading producer of uranium in 2011 and has around 15 percent of the world’s uranium resources. Uranium is needed to make fuel for nuclear reactors.
Kazakhstan has no commercial nuclear units. It operated the BN-350 Aktau demonstration fast breeder reactor from 1992 until 1999. The reactor has now been decommissioned.
