In his Address to the People of Kazakhstan on September 1, 2023, “The Economic Course of a Fair Kazakhstan”, the Head of State initiated a national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan with preliminary public discussions on this issue with the people.

 To discuss the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, public discussions were held in Shymkent today on the initiative of the Council of Elders of the city.

A corresponding announcement inviting everyone to participate was posted by the Akimat of Shymkent on the official website.

The public discussions gathered residents of the region, members of the local Public Council, the Public Council of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Council of Veterans, representatives of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan RSE, Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants LLP, Institute of Nuclear Physics RSE, the media, local activists, local environmentalists, etc.

The representatives of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan RSE, Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants LLP and Institute of Nuclear Physics RSE were the speakers of this event. 

In their speech, the speakers stressed that currently the dynamics of electricity consumption in Kazakhstan is growing intensively. To ensure the stable supply of the country’s needs, taking into account the active growth of electricity consumption, it is necessary to consider the possibility of building a modern nuclear power plant.

During these events, local residents asked actively questions on ecology, economic factors, infrastructure development, the impact of nuclear power plants on the development of small and medium-sized businesses, reactor safety, personnel training, as well as other topical issues. 

We note that the public discussions were held in a constructive manner and confirmed the importance of interaction between civil society and experts and government agencies in making important government decisions.

In general, during the discussion, local residents supported the issue of building a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan.