Kazakhstan targets 2035 completion for its first two nuclear plants

The 2035 deadline is a common target for two plants with different partners and different levels of readiness.

Two sites, two partners

A Russian-led consortium headed by Rosatom will build Balkhash, Akkenzhenov said. Cooperation with China National Nuclear Corporation is being explored for the second plant, Moyinkum. The talks cover the terms of the deal, the project parameters and the construction timeline.

"The parameters of the project are currently being discussed, including the terms of the deal and the timeline. We believe that the projects should be completed by 2035," he told journalists.

Kazakhstan plans Balkhash near the village of Ulken in Almaty Region, on the shore of Lake Balkhash. Moyinkum will also sit near Balkhash. Responsibility for the programme has moved from the Ministry of Energy to a newly created Agency for Atomic Energy.

The bill has already grown

The Balkhash plant will use two VVER-1200 III+ reactors with a combined capacity of 2.4 GWe. The Diplomat reported that the project carried a price of $14-15 billion when survey work began in August 2025, and around $16.4 billion as of June 2026.

The Diplomat reported that Moscow was said to be furnishing as much as 85 percent of the financing through a state export loan. The terms have not been disclosed. The loan agreement was among a dozen deals signed when Russian president Vladimir Putin visited Astana in June.

The 2035 target compares with a proposed 2027 construction start at Balkhash, leaving about eight years to build 2.4 GWe of capacity.

The push is global. Seventy-nine reactors are under construction worldwide, the most in 40 years, Nikkei Asia reported, as rising fossil fuel prices and AI demand drive new plant plans.

Fuel before reactors

Kazakhstan is arranging fuel before the reactors exist. Deputy prime minister and national economy minister Serik Zhumangarin said on 3 November that Kazakhstan plans a strategic uranium reserve by the end of 2027. The reserve will supply the three nuclear plants planned in the country, involving Rosatom and CNNC.

Political backing

In late October, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said it was possible, "perhaps necessary", to begin construction at Balkhash in 2027. He also called for a comprehensive cooperation agreement to start Moyinkum promptly.

He described nuclear power as of "fundamental importance" and called the 2024 referendum approval the "correct decision".

What happens next

The next step is a contract. Until Kazakhstan signs CNNC terms, 2035 is a target for Moyinkum rather than a schedule. The 2027 start at Balkhash remains a proposal, not a fixed date.