Russia breaks ground for Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant

Russia on Friday launched work to build the first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan. In a joint statement, Kazakhstan and Russia's nuclear agencies said that they had started "engineering surveys to select the optimal site and prepare project documentation for the construction of a large-capacity nuclear power plant".

Russia's Rosatom said that the reactor will have a 60-year lifespan, with the option to extend that for another 20 years. Across the region, Russia also plans to build a nuclear plant in Uzbekistan and wants to build a small reactor in Kyrgyzstan.