Kazakhstan confirms second nuclear plant in Almaty region

Kazakhstan selects Almaty region for its second nuclear site / Photo: Atomic-energy.ru, photo editor: Adelina Mamedova

Kazakhstan’s second nuclear power plant (NPP), to be built by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), will also be located in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region, according to a government decree dated Jan. 26.

Kazakhstan’s first NPP will be built by Russia’s state-owned nuclear company, Rosatom, which won the consortium tender on June 2025. That project is designed to have a total capacity of 2.4 gigawatts, consisting of two VVER-1200 reactors rated at 1.2 gigawatts each.

Following that decision, the Kazakh government announced that CNNC emerged as the lead company in the consortiums selected to construct the country’s second and third NPPs. The moves underscore Kazakhstan’s plan to diversify its nuclear partnerships while expanding domestic power generation capacity.

Kazakhstan’s first NPP is slated for construction in the village of Ulken, in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region, near Lake Balkhash.