THE TOPIC OF THE ROUND TABLE IS "ADVANTAGES OF PEACEFUL ATOM"
On October 6, Kazakhstan will hold a national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant. Ahead of this event, Shakarim University organized a round table titled “The Advantages of Peaceful Nuclear Energy,” aimed at analyzing the current state of the country’s energy sector and discussing the prospects for building a nuclear power plant.
Opening the event, the university’s rector, D. Orynbekov, highlighted its significance, particularly in the context of the upcoming professional holiday of nuclear industry workers celebrated on September 28. He emphasized that Shakarim University has long been training qualified specialists in the field of nuclear energy and is one of the few institutions in the country with strong collaborative ties to the National Nuclear Center in the city of Kurchatov.
Participants of the round table included Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Nuclear and Energy Supervision and Control of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Azat Sarpekov, Director of the Atomic Technology Information Center of the “Nuclear Society of Kazakhstan” Association Seit Aliyev, and representative of the National Nuclear Center Kuanyshbek Toleubekov. International experts — Professor Masaharu Hoshi of Hiroshima University and researcher Miklós Hegedűs of the University of Pannonia — presented insights into global experience in nuclear energy development.
In his speech, Azat Sarpekov noted that steady economic growth is inevitably accompanied by increased electricity consumption. According to him, 66% of Kazakhstan’s electricity generation currently comes from coal-fired power plants, while renewable energy sources account for only 6%. Due to climatic and natural limitations, renewables cannot serve as a stable base-load generation source. By 2035, the country’s electricity consumption is projected to reach 152.4 billion kWh, requiring the commissioning of new generating capacity totaling 26.5 GW. In this regard, the speaker emphasized the strategic importance of constructing a nuclear power plant.
Representatives of the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan, the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken,” the “Nuclear Society of Kazakhstan” Association, major universities across the country, as well as public organizations of Abai Region actively participated in the discussion. The faculty and students of Shakarim University also shared their views, underscoring the importance of open dialogue on the development of nuclear energy.