Russia to build Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant

"Rosatom has been designated as the leader of the international consortium for the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan," the Kazakh Atomic Energy Agency announced.

Kazakhstan, a vast former Soviet republic and ally of Moscow, is the world's largest uranium producer (43%) and the third-largest supplier of natural uranium to the European Union, but is critically short of electricity for its domestic consumption. The Kazakh agency now says it is "studying the issue of obtaining public export financing at the expense of the Russian Federation, in accordance with Rosatom's proposals."

Rosatom (Russia), China National Nuclear Corporation (China), EDF (France) and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (South Korea) were among the four companies considered.

The agency added that it "will continue to work with foreign partners to form an effective international consortium," without giving further details.

This international consortium project, which has never been specified, is in line with the desire of Kazakh leader Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to maintain good relations with the major powers.

Moscow, a historic power in Central Asia, thus won this call for tenders at the expense of China, now a key player in the region, and this announcement comes a few days before the arrival in Kazakhstan of Chinese President Xi Jinping for a "Central Asia-China" summit.

The power plant, whose construction was approved in an unsurprising referendum in the autumn, is to be built near the half-abandoned village of Ulken (south), on the shores of Lake Balkhash, the second largest in Central Asia.