FNCA
Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia

COUNTRY REPORT
Republic of Kazakhstan
2021

Kazakhstani Initiatives on Nonproliferation and Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Power Development
The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan had entrusted theGovernment and JSC “Samruk Kazyna” to study the possibilityof developing safe and eco-friendly nuclear energy inKazakhstan.
Joint Statement by Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Mukhtar Tileuberdiand CTBTO Executive Secretary was made on the occasion ofthe International Day against Nuclear Tests during the first
official visit of Mr. Robert Floyd.
Kazakhstan сhairs the CTBTO Working Group B for 2021–2024
As part of the support of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Treaty (CTBT), the infrastructure of Kazakhstan nuclear
monitoring system has been continued to function smoothly.
The efficiency of theKazakhstan stationsof the International
Monitoring System
was highly appreciatedby the CTBTO.

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Nuclear Power and Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Leading Positions in the Uranium Market
Kazakhstan, represented by NAK JSC “KAZATOMPROM”,
keeps its leading position of the largest supplier in the world
natural uranium market, being the guarantor ofuninterrupted operation of nuclear power plants all over theworld.
New Ulba Fuel Assembly Plant
On November 10, the official launch of the plant under“Ulba-FA” project was carried out. The plant was constructedusing high-tech equipment manufactured in France toproduce fuel assemblies for the generation of thermal powerin nuclear reactor.
The IAEA International Low Enriched Uranium Bank
continues its operation at the base of Ulba MetallurgicalPlant.

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Radiation Ecology of Kazakhstan and STS. Nonproliferation

 In 2021, due to the 30th anniversary of theindependence of the Republic of Kazakhstan
and the 30th anniversary of STS closure, a largescale work on comprehensive environmental
survey of the Semipalatinsk test site has beensuccessfully completed.

137Cs

 In 2021, a project to enhance security at theAktan-Berli site was completed. A three-levelprotection and remote monitoring systems wereinstalled and put into operation at security
objects.
 In June 2021, the “Experimental Field” site wastransferred for the protection by forces of theNational Guard of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In 2020, the project on bringing this site to asafe condition was fully completed.

4Nonproliferation and Nuclear Safety
Nonproliferation Policy Implementation
Conversion of two reactors to low enricheduranium fuel (LEU) and utilization of highly
enriched uranium (HEU) is under way:
 Conversion work has been continued under
the international program on minimizing theuse of highly enriched uranium and reducing
the risk of illegal proliferation of fissile
nuclear materials.

IVG.1M Reactor

IGR Reactor

 On February 27, 2021, LEU fuel was delivered to the IVG.1M reactor site. The work on
incoming inspection and certification tests
for delivered products has been completed.
The physical start-up of this reactor with newfuel is planned to be realized in 2022.

Transfer of LEU fuel from the Railway for Transportation
to the IVG.1M Reactor Site and Incoming inspection5

Nuclear Technologies and Cooperation
Radionuclide Therapy
For the first time, a Radionuclide Therapy Department has been established in Kazakhstan in Semey
оn June 24, 2021. Production of the radiopharmaceutical iodine (131I) is performed at the Institute ofNuclear Physics.
Regional Long-Term Storage Facility
Creation of a regional long-term storage facility forspent ionizing radiation sources has been completed as a part of a cooperative program between theMinistry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan,
Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

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Nuclear Technologies Promotion
RSE NNC RK Ongoing Projects:▲ Melt trap before and after RT-11
experiment (CORMIT-2)
Sodium loop(SAIGA) ► EAGLE-3 (JAEA, Japan) aimed at searching the ways to mitigate
the consequences of severe accidents with the core materialsmelt in sodium-cooled fast reactor, which is currently being
developed in Japan, has been continued.
 CORMIT-2 (Toshiba, Marubeni, Japan) on the search for heatresistant materials for the protective coating of a speciallydeveloped core melt trap in a severe loss of coolant accident wascompleted.
 SAIGA (CEA, France) for studying FA behavior at ASTRID reactor in
conditions of loss-of-flow accident (project is developed andexperiment possibility is approved at IGR reactor).

▲ Tests conduction(EAGLE-3)

KTM Design Parameters:• plasma current – 750 kA• discharge duration ~5 s
Achieved Parameters in 2021
• plasma current – 150 kA• discharge duration > 200 ms

 Under the current project BREST-OD-300 (JSC NIKIET, Russia) in
2021, testing of 5 irradiation devices with 15 fuel rods with thenew mixed uranium-plutonium nitride fuel of the BREST-OD-300
reactor were carried out at the IGR reactor, the construction ofwhich is started in Russia.
 Kazakhstan Material Testing Tokamak (KTM). An experimental
camping to bring out the KTM to higher parameters of operationand measurement of experimental parameters using the developed diagnostics, was implemented .

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THANK YOU FOR YOURATTENTION!

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