Nuclear power in Kazakhstan

nuclearchain.net/countries/kazakhstan/ · data: Global Energy Monitor (GNPT, August 2026), CC BY 4.0 · printed from the live page

Kazakhstan has no operating nuclear power reactors. 5 units appear in the record: 1 pre-construction, 3 announced, 1 retired.

Operating

0.0 GW gross

Under construction

Planned

incl. 3 announced

Retired

0 cancelled

Pre-construction1Retired1circle area ∝ site capacitydashed = approximate position Coastlines, borders and lakes: Natural Earth (1:10 million, public domain), which is generalised, so a coastal plant can sit a couple of kilometres off its true shoreline. Site positions: Global Nuclear Power Tracker.

After an October 2024 referendum in which over 70% of voters backed new nuclear energy, Kazakhstan plans its first plant at Ulken near Lake Balkhash, led by Rosatom, which signed a construction contract in September 2026. An April 2026 strategy foresees at least three plants in operation by 2050. Policy position as read on 2026-11-03: World Nuclear Association, Nuclear Power in Kazakhstan (page dated 2026-10-23).

Operating capacity over time

First reactor online1973

Peak0.1 GW in 1973

Now0.0 GW 0 units

2026 so farno change

Gross capacity of units that had started up and not been permanently shut down by 31 December each year (2026 is to date). Amber marks the peak, green the present.

Data table

Year	Units online	GW gross	Change, GW
1973	1	0.09	+0.09
1999	0	0.00	−0.09

Only years in which capacity changed are listed.

Share of electricity from nuclear power

In Kazakhstan, nuclear plants generated 0.0% of electricity in 2025, about the same as 0.0% in 2015. The share peaked at 0.6% in 1991, so it is 0.6 percentage points below its high.

Share of the country's total electricity generation that came from nuclear plants, by calendar year (1988 to 2025). Amber marks the high point, green the latest year. Source: Our World in Data from Ember and the Energy Institute, CC BY 4.0.

Data table

Year	Nuclear share, %
2025	0.0
2024	0.0
2023	0.0
2022	0.0
2021	0.0
2020	0.0
2019	0.0
2018	0.0
2017	0.0
2016	0.0
2015	0.0
2014	0.0
2013	0.0
2012	0.0
2011	0.0
2010	0.0
2009	0.0
2008	0.0
2007	0.0
2006	0.0
2005	0.0
2004	0.0
2003	0.0
2002	0.0
2001	0.0
2000	0.0
1999	0.0
1998	0.2
1997	0.6
1996	0.2
1995	0.1
1994	0.6
1993	0.6
1992	0.6
1991	0.6
1990	0.0
1989	0.1
1988	0.0

Position in the fuel chain

Facility	Stage	Operator	Capacity / output
Ust-Kamenogorsk (ULBA)	fabrication	NAC Kazatomprom	200tHM/yr
Karatau (Budenovskoye 2)	mining	NAC Kazatomprom	3,299tU/yr
Inkai, sites 1-3	mining	NAC Kazatomprom	2,992tU/yr
Akdala and South Inkai	mining	NAC Kazatomprom	2,803tU/yr
Moinkum and Tortkuduk (KATCO)	mining	Orano	2,388tU/yr
Khorassan 1	mining	NAC Kazatomprom	2,030tU/yr
Central Mynkuduk	mining	NAC Kazatomprom	1,650tU/yr
Budenovskoye 1, 3 & 4 (Akbastau)	mining	NAC Kazatomprom	1,545tU/yr
Kharasan 2 (Baiken-U)	mining	NAC Kazatomprom	1,315tU/yr
South Moinkum and Kanzhugan	mining	NAC Kazatomprom	1,273tU/yr
Irkol	mining	NAC Kazatomprom	940tU/yr
Western Mynkuduk (Appak)	mining	NAC Kazatomprom	830tU/yr
North and South Karamurun	mining	NAC Kazatomprom	830tU/yr
Zarechnoye	mining	NAC Kazatomprom	741tU/yr

All units in Kazakhstan

Unit	Site	Status	Type	Gross MW	Online
Ulken nuclear power plant 1	Ulken nuclear power plant	Pre-construction	PWR	1,200	2035
Kurchatov nuclear power plant 1	Kurchatov nuclear power plant	Announced	PWR	1,200	-
Kurchatov nuclear power plant 2	Kurchatov nuclear power plant	Announced	PWR	1,200	-
Ulken nuclear power plant 2	Ulken nuclear power plant	Announced	PWR	1,200	2035
Aktau nuclear power plant	Aktau nuclear power plant	Retired	FBR	90	1973

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Sources

Global Nuclear Power Tracker, Global Energy Monitor, August 2026 release , CC BY 4.0 · retrieved 2026-09-06
Nuclear share of electricity: Our World in Data, from Ember and the Energy Institute , CC BY 4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-28

How these sources are used, including the corrections applied on top of them and what is deliberately left blank · download the underlying data