Nuclear power is one of the key areas of Power Kazakhstan.
Exhibitors include the world’s major manufacturers and suppliers of equipment, technologies and services for nuclear power stations. Participants of this section included RosAtom State Corporation for Nuclear Power, AtomStroyExport CJSC, All-Russian Research Institute for Use of Nuclear Power Stations (VNIIAES OJSC), OKB GIDROPRESS OJSC, Afrikantov Experimental Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering, Russian Federal Nuclear Centre – The All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics (FGUP RFNC-VNIIEF), The All-Russia Dukhov Research Institute of Automatics (FGUP VNIIA), Sedakov Research Institute of Measurement Systems (FNPTs NIIIS), FGUP PSZ, etc.
The Nuclear Power Section Includes:
- Nuclear power: reactors and cooling systems, rods and fuel, reactor internals, reactor pressure vessels, control rod drives, steam generators, reactor coolant pump, containments
- Regular equipment: turbo generators, blades, etc.
- Uranium production and processing
- Control and measurement: reactor control ergonomics, digital control systems, software, data collection systems, and other nuclear power station systems
- Electrical systems: new backup power systems; new high-voltage equipment; different pipes, pumps, valves, welding, thermal treatment, assembly technologies, etc.
- Equipment and special tools
- Use and service of control maintenance, service robots
- Emergency communication: devices and systems
- Standardisation of nuclear power stations elements
- URD and EURD at nuclear power stations
- Equipment and materials for nuclear power station safety
- Waste disposal: recycling of solid, liquid, gaseous and radioactive waste
In the late 1990s, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Kazakhstan assessed the national uranium reserves to be 469,000 tons in Categories В and С1. Uranium reserves are not concentrated in one spot, and major deposits are in the west (Mangistau), east (Kokshetau) and south (Balkhash, Chu-Syrdarya Valley), which may be useful for construction of nuclear power stations in the country.
By 2027, Kazakhstan plans to become the world’s biggest producer of uranium. Kazakhstan’s only nuclear power station in Aktau has a 350 MW fast-neutron reactor. This nuclear power station had worked in 1973-1999. After the station had been shut down, the nuclear power share in the total electric power production dropped to zero.
In 1999, Kazakhstan adopted the state programme on nuclear power development until 2030. According to the electrical power development programme, use of nuclear power in the country’s power industry will contribute to a sustainable development of this sector, reduce discharge to the air and minimise the negative effect on climate changes.
Construction of the nuclear power station in Kazakhstan is scheduled for 2011. If funds are available on time, construction of the nuclear power station with VBER-300 reactors in Mangistau Oblast will begin in 2011. Commissioning of the first block is scheduled for 2016, and the second, for 2017.
According to estimates, the nuclear power station will be a nuclear-power heating plant consisting of two power blocks with VBER-300 reactors. The total length of the station design and construction is 9 years. In 2006, according to the protocol decision of Russia’s Federal Agency for Nuclear Power and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, a Kazakhstan-Russian company Atomnye Stantsii was established. Its goal is to develop and promote nuclear power stations with VBER-300 reactors in the markets of Russia, Kazakhstan and third countries. NAK KazAtomProm and AtomStroyExport CJSC (Moscow, Russia) are equal co-founders of the company. According to Mukhtar Dzhakishev, President of NAK KazAtomProm, KazAtomProm will begin negotiations with its partners and try to do everything to commission new facilities in time in order to avoid any delays in the development of the western region. According to him, nuclear power has a number of advantages. In capital investments, a nuclear power station is comparable to heating stations – but with much lower rates. The need for construction of a nuclear power station was caused by lack of power facilities in the western region – the most booming region in the country.
Construction of the station will be one of the most efficient steps in the development of Kazakhstan’s nuclear power. According to М. Dzhakishev, commissioning of the first power block is scheduled for 2015, and the second, for 2016.
Kazakhstan is the world’s leader in discovered reserves of uranium, with 21% of the world’s share. About 65% of them are good for in situ leaching – the most advanced, environment-friendly and economical method.
NAK KazAtomProm JSC is general operator in export and import of uranium and its compounds, nuclear fuel for nuclear power stations, special equipment and technologies, and dual application materials.
During 9 months of 2008, the total uranium output in the country grew by 27.4%.
Output of tantalum products increased to reach 210.7 tons (132%). Output of beryllium products increased to reach 1,273.1 tons (102%).
Refineries produced 5,640 tons of uranium oxide concentrate (129%). Ulba Metallurgical Plant produced 2,299.3 tons of uranium products (101% to the plan). Karatau LLP, a uranium mine, will be commissioned. Development of new fields will continue.
The work continues to form a vertically integrated fuel company with complete nuclear fuel cycle. In June 2008, NAK KazAtomProm JSC and Areva, a French company, signed an agreement to establish a joint venture for construction of a plant of nuclear fuel assembly components for reactors of the western design, with the annual capacity of 1,200 tons of finished fuel. The French company guarantees orders for the third part while the remaining plant capacity will be used to meet the needs of other western companies.
Ulba-Konversiya LLP was registered in August 2008, and its participants include Ulba Metallurgical Plant and Cameco, a Canadian company. This joint venture will be building a conversion facility at Ulba Metallurgical Plant, with the annual capacity of 12,000 tons of uranium hexafluoride. The conversion facility will utilise the best Canadian and Kazakhstan technologies in this area.
The joint Russian-Kazakhstan company, TsOU CJSC, continues construction of a uranium concentrator in Angarsk. The feasibility study for construction of the uranium concentrator has been completed.
Certification of fuel pellets for Westinghouse reactors has begun.
Establishment of Kazakhstan-Chinese joint ventures is underway. An important prerequisite for this cooperation is that all of the natural uranium mined by joint Kazakhstan-Chinese enterprises will be supplied to China in the form of higher grade products.
Development of the feasibility study for construction of a nuclear power plant in Aktau continues. The plant will be completed in the first quarter of 2009. Development of design documentation for the nuclear power plant construction will be completed in 2012. Beginning of the construction is scheduled for 2013, commissioning of the first block – for 2016, and the second, for 2017.
