7 Oct (NucNet): Kazakhstan’s leadership believes development of nuclear energy will fuel the country’s economic growth and stimulate high-tech industrialisation, a report published by a Washington-based think-tank concludes.
The report, by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, says the Kazakhstan government expects that 4.5 percent of all electricity will come from a nuclear source by 2030.
Kazakhstan is the only country in Central Asia that has made a firm commitment to developing nuclear energy. It is also likely to host an international low-enriched uranium bank, construction of which could begin in 2015.
The International Atomic Energy agency has held a number of meetings with Kazakhstan to negotiate the host state agreement and supporting technical agreements for the project.
The likely site of the bank is the Ulba Metallurgy Plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk, which produces low-enriched uranium and, as a result, has experience in storing the fuel, the report says.
But the Carnegie report notes that like any country choosing nuclear power, Kazakhstan will face a number of universal challenges. Key among them are financing, nuclear safety, nuclear security and non-proliferation, and spent fuel management.
“As a rule, construction of nuclear power plants turns into a more expensive project than initially planned. Delays due to budget problems, sometimes decades long, are not uncommon,” the report says.
Domestically, Kazakhstan will need to approach the development of nuclear energy with extreme care. The economic, technological, and energy security benefits of nuclear power should not take attention away from inherent challenges that nuclear energy development presents for newcomers. Nuclear security and safety, even stronger non-proliferation measures, required financial investment, and spent fuel and waste management require serious consideration, the report says.
Kazakhstan’s “exemplary” non-proliferation record reduces any concerns that there might be an authorised misuse of nuclear technology for non-peaceful purposes. However, since nuclear technology is inherently dual-use, Kazakhstan will need to invest additional efforts into ensuring that the risk of unauthorised diversion of any nuclear material and nuclear technology in its possession is minimised.
“The country will likely continue to support both the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation objectives of the international community,” the report concludes.
The report is online:
http://carnegieendowment.org/files/Kazakhstan_and_the_Global_Nuclear_Order.pdf
