Kazakhstan decides to build its first nuclear power plant

The Central Asian country is the world’s largest producer of uranium and has enormous oil reserves. But society suffers from a chronic lack of energy.

Sunday’s referendum shows that 71.12 percent voted for the proposal to build a nuclear power plant. The turnout was 63 percent.

China, France, Russia and South Korea will compete to build the power plant, which will be located at a partially evacuated village on the shores of Lake Balkhash.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokajev says that the power plant is the largest project ever in Kazakhstan’s history as an independent country. The president, who was elected in 2019, would prefer that an international consortium consisting of the company with cutting-edge expertise and the best of technology should build the power plant.

The Yes side has dominated in the run-up to the referendum, and opponents have struggled to be heard in the media. Dozens of people have been arrested in recent weeks.

The issue of nuclear power is very sensitive in Kazakhstan, where the Soviet Union carried out around 450 nuclear test explosions from 1949 to 1989 and exposed large parts of the population to radiation.

In order to secure the highest possible majority, the government allowed Kazakhs who are not registered in the electoral rolls to also participate. Free buses circulated in the major cities to get people to the polling stations.