Increasing Localization and Engaging Domestic Companies — A Key Priority in Nuclear Power Plant Construction
Increasing Localization and Engaging Domestic Companies — A Key Priority in Nuclear Power Plant Construction
This message was emphasized by Yernat Berdigulov, General Director of LLP “KNPP” (Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants), during one of the key sessions of World Nuclear Week in Moscow.
The plenary session brought together high-level participants, including:
• Aleksei Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom State Corporation
• Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
• Denis Moroz, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Belarus
• Mohamed Shaker El-Markabi, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy of Egypt
• Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of the World Nuclear Association (WNA)
• Azim Akhmedkhadjaev, Director of the Uzbekistan Agency for Nuclear Energy
In his remarks, Mr. Berdigulov highlighted Kazakhstan’s long-standing achievements in the nuclear industry — including its global leadership in uranium mining, the operation of the world’s first BN-350 fast breeder reactor, the presence of three active research reactors, and a network of scientific research institutes.
“That said, we are now tasked with reaching a fundamentally new level. A dedicated Agency for Nuclear Energy Development has been established, reporting directly to the Head of State. Both the agency and KNPP are responsible for overseeing the construction of multiple nuclear power plants in Kazakhstan and for advancing the development of a national nuclear cluster,” Berdigulov stated.
Addressing the question of forming a consortium to implement the NPP project, he emphasized that this model presents a number of opportunities and advantages for Kazakhstan — including technology transfer and the application of international best practices in both engineering and project management.
“Furthermore, one of our top priorities in the construction of nuclear power plants is to increase localization and engage domestic companies. By expanding the pool of local firms we can collaborate with, we are simultaneously broadening our base of potential partners — those with whom we can establish new domestic manufacturing capacities. This not only supports technology transfer but also drives industrial and technological development within the country,” Berdigulov noted.
As part of World Nuclear Week, Mr. Berdigulov also held a meeting with representatives of Rosatom, where both sides discussed progress in engineering and site survey activities.
Additionally, the Kazakh delegation participated in the opening ceremony of World Nuclear Week, which featured a live broadcast marking the dispatch of reactor vessels for the El-Dabaa NPP in Egypt and the Akkuyu NPP in Turkey.
