Cairo: Hani Kamal El-Din
In 1957, the Institute of Nuclear Physics was established near Alma-Ata under the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR. This institute marked the beginning of the nuclear sector in Kazakhstan, with the commissioning of the VVER-K reactor in 1967, which continues to operate today. Notably, the reactor was shut down following the Chernobyl disaster and the Spitak earthquake but was restarted in 1997 after a significant upgrade to safety systems and seismic reinforcement.
The debate around nuclear energy is multifaceted. Some critics focus on environmental risks, others on economic and geopolitical concerns. While some of these critics quickly advocate for investments in wind and solar energy, which somewhat diminishes their arguments, others are not opposed to nuclear power in general but rather to specific projects like those of Rosatom. This opposition is often linked to their funding sources. Many environmental critics, on the other hand, are driven by a phobia of nuclear energy, conflating nuclear power with nuclear weapons. Although Kazakhstan has a painful history with the Semipalatinsk test site, it is important to recognize that this context is different.
The Semipalatinsk test site conducted its last test in 1989 and was closed in 1991 by decree of the first president. The site was transformed into the National Nuclear Center, which continues its advanced scientific and research activities using remaining research reactors in Kurchatov, including a unique prototype for a nuclear power plant for the Soviet space program. Research at the international level covers not only physical issues but also safety technologies.
In addition to the reactor in Alma-Ata, a unique fast neutron reactor, BN-350, was launched in Aktau (formerly Shevchenko) in 1972. This reactor provided not only electricity but also heat and fresh water to the Mangistau region. However, it was decommissioned in 1999 under American pressure, despite Kazakh specialists advocating for its modernization or the construction of a new reactor. Since then, MAEK has operated on gas, while the region continues to face persistent shortages of water and electricity.
Kazakhstan leads the world in uranium production, with the first deposit, the Kordai deposit, discovered in 1953. Since then, numerous large deposits have been found. Southern deposits were managed by facilities in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, central deposits by the Tselinny Combine (Stepnogorsk), and Mangyshlak deposits by the Caspian Combine. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the corporation “KATEP” was established, followed by “NAC Kazatomprom,” which became the operators for uranium mining, attracting foreign investments, and supplying uranium to the global market. Major investors include Russia, France, China, and Japan.
After several transformations, the Ulba Metallurgical Plant, one of the oldest and most prominent nuclear industry facilities in the Soviet Union, joined Kazatomprom. The Ulba plant has uranium, tantalum, and beryllium production capabilities. In recent years, cooperation with France and China has led to the production of finished nuclear fuel elements for the Chinese nuclear energy sector.
What does this mean? These developments indicate that nuclear energy and the nuclear industry are not new or unknown fields for Kazakhstan. Rather, they are areas where the country has a strong scientific, technological, resource, and processing base, with vast experience integrated into global science and economics. Kazakhstan has its own radiation medicine and ecology systems, legislation, and regulatory body, and is developing its training system. Despite some traditional and export-oriented sectors having less robust backgrounds, the nuclear sector remains a vital and integrated part of the national and global economy.
