{"id":360436,"date":"2025-01-04T08:53:24","date_gmt":"2025-01-04T07:53:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=360436"},"modified":"2025-01-04T08:53:27","modified_gmt":"2025-01-04T07:53:27","slug":"coal-will-power-kazakhstan-into-a-nuclear-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=360436","title":{"rendered":"Coal Will Power Kazakhstan into a Nuclear Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Vijay Jayaraj                                                                                                                                               <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kazakhstan is a land of breathtaking contrasts that present unparalleled natural beauty in the rugged peaks of the Tian Shan mountains and vast, windswept grasslands of the Great Steppe. Its people are both deeply rooted in tradition and forward-looking, embodying a blend of resilience and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some regions, unforgiving Kazakhstan winters push temperatures below minus 40\u00b0C. Such conditions make coal a lifeline that keeps homes warm and industries running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kazakhstan\u2019s reliance on coal is deeply entrenched, and for good reason. The country possesses some of the largest coal reserves in the world \u2013 an estimated 25 billion tons<\/a>. Coal-fired power plants account for nearly 70%<\/a> of Kazakhstan\u2019s electricity generation, a figure that underscores its pivotal role in the nation\u2019s energy matrix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intermittent energy sources like wind and solar \u2013 promoted as a response to a fabricated climate crisis \u2013 simply cannot meet the demand for electricity. Winter is particularly challenging as solar panels are idled under thick snow and wind turbines falter in icy conditions. Coal, on the other hand, is a steady, reliable source of heat and power that ensures Kazakh families endure the cold and critical infrastructure remains operational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kazakh\u2019s Nuclear Future<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the world\u2019s largest producer<\/a> of uranium and a participant in nuclear research, Kazakhstan has both the raw materials and the expertise to develop a robust nuclear power sector. Nuclear power offers a viable alternative to Kazakhstan\u2019s energy needs. In a 2024 referendum, 73% of Kazakh people voted in favor<\/a> of nuclear energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike wind and solar, nuclear performs in any kind of weather. Modern nuclear reactors are designed with enhanced safety features and smaller footprints and would readily integrate into Kazakhstan\u2019s energy grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The country \u201cis committed to constructing effective and sustainable energy sources to meet electricity needs for households and the rapidly developing industrial sector,\u201d says Erlan Batyrbekov, director general of Kazakhstan\u2019s National Nuclear Center \u2013 one of Central Asia\u2019s largest research organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The country\u2019s interest in nuclear energy has attracted international attention. China has already set up a uranium processing plant. Kazakhstan\u2019s choices for vendors of nuclear reactors include those from France, South Korea, Russia and China. Both Russia and China have shown<\/a> renewed interest on construction of nuclear power plants in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Kazakhstan is the U.S.\u2019s lead partner in nuclear cooperation in Central Asia. Gavin Helf, an expert on Central Asia, says<\/a>,  \u201cIt is in the interest of the West and the United States to help Kazakhstan shape its nuclear options to prevent a Russian or Chinese monopolization of Kazakhstan\u2019s uranium resources.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of where Kazakhstan\u2019s allegiance lies, the country must construct power plants to utilize its reserves of uranium. However, building nuclear plants requires significant up-front investment of capital and time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until there is a large-scale deployment of the technology, the country cannot afford to replace coal\u2019s share in power generation with unreliable wind and solar despite political pressures to the contrary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to coal, oil and natural gas have helped to transform the Kazakhstan economy. Kazakhstan is a leading exporter of crude oil, with major fields like Tengiz, Kashagan, and Karachaganak driving production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oil exports account for nearly 30% of the country\u2019s gross domestic product<\/a> (GDP) and 75% of export commodities, underscoring their importance as an economic engine. Since gaining independence in 1991, the country\u2019s GDP has grown tenfold to over $260 billion<\/a>, with hydrocarbon production playing a pivotal role. Oil exports from Kazakhstan are set to increase<\/a> as Turkey has emerged as a safe and convenient new route, bypassing a complex Russian route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This fossil fuel wealth has enabled Kazakhstan to invest in infrastructure, education, and healthcare, significantly improving living standards over the past three decades. It is for this reason that Kazakhstan must continue to invest in the development of fossil fuels and to rely on them for the lion\u2019s share of primary energy consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kazakhstan\u2019s energy future resides in fossil fuels, especially coal, at least until nuclear power is more fully developed and probably beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This commentary was first published at RealClear Markets<\/em><\/a> on December 31, 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vijay Jayaraj<\/a> is a Science and Research Associate at the <\/em>CO2<\/sub> Coalition<\/em><\/a>, Arlington, Virginia. He <\/em>holds an M.S. in environmental sciences from the University of East Anglia and a postgraduate degree in energy management from Robert Gordon University, both in the U.K., and a bachelor\u2019s in engineering from Anna University, India.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kazakhstan is a land of breathtaking contrasts that present unparalleled natural beauty in the rugged peaks of the Tian Shan mountains and vast, windswept grasslands of the Great Steppe. Its people are both deeply rooted in tradition and forward-looking, embodying a blend of resilience and innovation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":360438,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691819635,691832422,691818206,691818728],"class_list":{"0":"post-360436","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-coal","9":"tag-kazakhstan","10":"tag-nuclear-power","11":"tag-wind-and-solar","13":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0b140807012.jpg?fit=1920%2C940&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1vLu","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":265986,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=265986","url_meta":{"origin":360436,"position":0},"title":"America\u2019s Declaration of Energy Independence Means More Nuclear\u00a0Power","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/07\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Nuclear power doesn\u2019t depend on the weather, and it doesn\u2019t depend upon the whims of despots and cartels. 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