As reported on this blog before, Kazakhstan aims to diversify its energy sources and has long flirted with the idea to build a nuclear plant. This comes despite the pivotal role protests against nuclear testing took during perestroika.

Focus reports that Kazakhstan’s nuclear state agency Kazatomprom has found a partner in building the first nuclear power plant. Russian company Atomstroyexport will be partnering with the Kazakh side in order to

[develop] and [introduce] innovative projects for nuclear reactor facility units of low and medium capacity to markets in Kazakhstan, Russia and third countries

The first reactor will be built in Aktau, and as all Russian-Kazakh joint-ventures in the nuclear sphere, will be realised with Russian high-tech and Kazakh capital.

According to Petrunin, there is no operating reactor of such capacity in the world, while Russia has constructed 460 prototype models for icebreakers and submarines.

The Aktau project is only part of a bigger deal worth $10 billion. Russia’s domestic uranium production covers only 20% of its demand. With the new deal, Russia will get access to cheap Kazakh uranium by lending its know-how:

Kiriyenko added that the new project would produce 5,000-6,000 metric tons of uranium a year while Russia’s annual output at the moment totaled slightly over 3,000 tons.