President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev announced that the referendum on nuclear power plant (NPP) construction in Kazakhstan will be held on October 6. Noting that he had signed the relevant Decree, the President recalled that the idea of holding a referendum on a nuclear power plant was announced last year, the press office of the President of Kazakhstan reported.
Tokayev highlighted the importance of promoting nuclear energy to meet the rapidly growing needs of Kazakhstan’s economy and cited as an example about 30 countries where about 200 nuclear power plants operate.
4 companies offered their construction technologies for NPPs in Kazakhstan. China’s CNNC offered the HPR1000 reactor, Korea’s KHNP offered the APR1000 and APR1400 reactors, Russia’s Rosatom Corporation offered the VVER-1200 reactor and France’s EDF offered the EPR1200 technology.
President Tokayev expressed belief that citizens would make an informed decision in the upcoming referendum. A direct vote would be another manifestation of national dialogue and exemplify the implementation of the concept of the “listening state”.
