Rosatom and Kazakhstan sign contract for Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant

Rosatom State Corporation and Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants LLP (KNPP) have signed an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the development of the Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant in Kazakhstan. The agreement was signed on September 3, 2026, during the Eastern Economic Forum.

The facility will be located near the village of Ulken in the Zhambyl District of the Almaty Region. It is planned to consist of two power units with a total electrical capacity of 2,400 MW, utilizing Generation III+ VVER-1200 water-cooled reactors. Each reactor is designed for an electrical output of 1,200 MW and has a service life of 60 years, with the potential for a 20-year extension.

As the leader of the international consortium, Rosatom will manage the full project cycle, including design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and final handover. The contract was signed by Andrey Petrov for the Russian side and Ernat Berdigulov for the Kazakhstani side, in the presence of Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev and Almasadam Satkaliev, Chairman of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Atomic Energy.