Меню
Over the years of independence, Kazakhstan has made a rapid path - from the owner of the world's fourth nuclear arsenal to a leading country in global non-proliferation.
In 1991, by the Decree of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev, the world's largest Semipalatinsk nuclear test site was closed.
The accident-free operation of the IVG-1M (Research high-temperature gas-cooled reactor) and IGR (Impulse-graphite reactor) research reactor complexes of the RSE «National Nuclear Center of the RK» in Kurchatov city of Abay region and the research reactor VVR-K (water moderated reactor) of RSE «Institute of Nuclear Physics» in Almaty city is organized and successfully implementing.
In 2006, the Interdisciplinary Research Complex was built and is successfully operating on the basis of the heavy ion accelerator DC-60 in Nur-Sultan city.
In 2015, an Agreement was signed on the establishment of the IAEA Low Enriched Uranium Bank in the Republic of Kazakhstan between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the IAEA;
As part of strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime and ensuring nuclear safety, in 2016 the VVR-K research reactor was switched from highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium fuel. Work continues on converting the IVG.1M research reactor to low-enriched fuel.
In 2016, the «Training Center for Nuclear Safety» was created on the basis of the RSE «Institute of Nuclear Physics» to train Kazakhstani specialists in the field of physical protection, accounting, control and countering illicit trafficking of nuclear materials. In 2016, the Industrial complex of the «Center for Nuclear Medicine and Biophysics» was put into operation on the basis of the RSE «Institute of Nuclear Physics» for the production of high quality medical isotopic products and the implementation of radiation sterilization services for medical products.
Observation stations have been created and are operating as part of the International Monitoring System of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization.
The former Semipalatinsk test site territory was examined of 100%.
Radiation safety and constant monitoring of the sites of «peaceful» nuclear explosions at the «Azgir» test site of the Atyrau region, «Lira» of the East Kazakhstan region facilities and adjacent territories are ensured.
In 2018, in Geneva, an Agreement on International Cooperation was signed between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) regarding scientific and technical cooperation in order to strengthen existing cooperation and to create a basis for ensuring the participation opportunities of scientists, engineers, students and technical specialists from Kazakhstan in CERN research projects on a long-term basis.
In 2019, the bench complex «Kazakhstan Materials Science Tokamak KTM» was commissioned to conduct scientific research and testing of materials, technologies and structures for future fusion reactors.
In November 2021, a plant for the production of fuel assemblies for nuclear power plants was put into operation on the territory of Ulba Metallurgical Plant JSC (Ust-Kamenogorsk).
Kazakhstan Materials Science Tokamak (KTM)
The decision to start the implementation of the Project was made by the Order of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated July 22, 1998 No. 143-r «On measures to develop activities within the framework of the decision of the 6th session of the ITER Council dated July 28, 1994 on the inclusion of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the International Fusion Reactor Project».
The Tokamak complex is designed for research and testing of materials, technologies, structures and individual components of future thermonuclear reactors, which will lay the foundations for solving important tasks of modern nuclear energy, and will contribute to the development of modern areas of science and technology in the country.
The Tokamak (Toroidal Chamber with Magnetic Coils) is a stainless steel vacuum chamber surrounded by windings of an electromagnetic system to create powerful electromagnetic fields and is the only facility in the world that allows testing materials under a thermal load corresponding to the thermal parameters of the world's first prototype fusion reactor ITER, which is under construction in the city of Cadarache in France.
On May 26, 2017 an Agreement was signed on the joint use of an experimental complex based on the Kazakhstan materials science tokamak at a meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of Governments in Kazan by six countries: the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The countries participating in the ATOM-CIS Commission (Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus) are conducting joint scientific research in accordance with the Program of Scientific Research at the Kazakhstan Materials Science Tokamak for 2021-2023.
On November 20, 2019 the successful final stage of the physical start-up of the KTM installation was carried out and the facility was put into operation.
Low Enriched Uranium Bank of the International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency's Low Enriched Uranium Bank (IAEA LEU Bank) is part of a global efforts to create an assured supply of nuclear fuel and is designed to ensure the supply of nuclear fuel to IAEA Member States that use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in the event of a violation of existing fuel supply mechanisms for nuclear power plants.
On August 27, 2015 in Nur-Sultan city, an Agreement was signed between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the IAEA on the establishment of the IAEA LEU Bank in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The opening ceremony of the IAEA LEU Bank building took place on August 29, 2017 in the teleconference mode with the participation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Elbasy N.A. Nazarbayev and IAEA Director General Y. Amano.
Since 2019, the LEU Bank has entered the stage of functioning. In December 2019, the delivery of enriched uranium hexafluoride to the IAEA LEU Bank was completed.
The IAEA LEU Bank is located on the territory of Ulba Metallurgical Plant JSC, Ust-Kamenogorsk city.
Center for Nuclear Medicine and Biophysics
In 2016, the facility «Center for Nuclear Medicine and Biophysics» was commissioned on the basis of the RSE «Institute of Nuclear Physics» for the production of isotopic medical products and implementation of radiation sterilization services for medical products.
The Center for Nuclear Physics and Biophysics consists of buildings for the production of radio-pharmaceuticals and radiation sterilization.
RSE «Institute of Nuclear Physics» produces and delivers to medical institutions of Kazakhstan modern radio-pharmaceuticals for diagnostics and therapy. RSE «Institute of Nuclear Physics» is working on the creation of new types of products and services of high quality, and develops technologies for the production of new radio-pharmaceuticals.
Semipalatinsk test site
The Semipalatinsk test site was one of the largest test sites in the world for testing nuclear weapons. Its area is 18 311.4 km2, which is comparable to the territory of countries such as Israel or Slovenia. For 40 years, 456 nuclear tests were carried out on the territory of the Semipalatinsk test site.
Starting from 2008 to 2021, work was carried out on a comprehensive environmental survey of the territory of the former Semipalatinsk test site. As a result, significant areas of radioactive contamination, the main ways and mechanisms of the current and potential spread of radioactive substances were identified. The survey made it possible to form an understanding that radioactive contamination has a local character and is not concentrated on the entire territory of the polygon.
It is proposed to create a special zone on radioactively contaminated lands - the Semipalatinsk nuclear Safety Zone and consider the transfer of conditionally clean lands into economic turnover.
In this regard, 2 draft laws have been developed – «On the Semipalatinsk nuclear Safety Zone» and the accompanying draft law «On Amendments and Additions to Some Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the issues of the Semipalatinsk nuclear Safety Zone». The draft laws are in the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
