News archive :: Year 2005

09-06-2005 06:15

Nuclear Energy in the Republic of Kazakhstan. NE-2005

An International Conference titled "Nuclear Energy in the Republic of Kazakhstan" took place in Kurchatov, East Kazakhstan within May 31-June 3, 2005. About 130 representatives from UK, Japan, USA, Russia and Kazakhstan participated in the conference, including:

  • Representatives from MEMR RK, organizations and companies of MEMR RK, Kazakhstan State University of RK MES;
  • Representatives from IAEA, US Embassy, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and RWE Nukem (UK), JAPC (Japan);
  • Representatives from enterprises and institutes of the Russian Federation, such as OKBM, NIKIET, SRI SIA "Luch", RRC "Kurchatov Institute", IPPE,  IPHP.

The "NE-2005" Conference is devoted to development of one of the most progressive and promising field of human scientific-technical activity - nuclear energy and in fact became an annual forum taking place in Kazakhstan, where issues related to nuclear power development, nuclear technologies application, nonproliferation regime support are discussed.

Since 1992, the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan by order of the MEMR RK has been conducting almost every year international scientific-technical conferences and workshops where various nuclear power and nuclear technologies application related issues are considered.

Before, most directions of nuclear power development and nuclear technologies in Kazakhstan were talked about in the future tense. At present a legislative and regulatory base was established in Kazakhstan in the field of nuclear power application, uranium industry enterprises are successfully operating, various scientific research operations are being conducted at research reactors and experimental facilities, and nuclear scientific-technical projects are under implementation.

2005 is a year of anniversaries of a number of events that are significant for nuclear activity in Kazakhstan:

  • 30th anniversary of IVG.1 research reactor power start-up where a basic scope of test operations on nuclear jet propulsions and space nuclear power facilities was performed (start-up was conducted on March 7 1975);
  • 10th anniversary of the last experimental nuclear device liquidation in Tunnel 108-K  of the Semipalatinsk Test Site (liquidated on May 31, 1995);
  • 10th anniversary of Governmental resolution #1344 concerning "Development of Nuclear Power in the Republic of Kazakhstan" dated October 18, 1995;
  • 10th anniversary of NNC cooperation with Japanese organizations in the sphere of nuclear reactor safety validation (January 1995 start of the COTELS Project, December 1995 start of operations on EAGLE Project).

The following papers were presented on the conference

  • development of new type power reactors, including application of technologies which were used in construction of reactor facilities for navy;
  • results of NPP reactors existing projects system analysis in order to select power reactors for Kazakhstan in the future;
  • researches into safety of existing and draft nuclear power facilities;
  • researches conducted in Kazakhstan in the framework of ITER International Thermonuclear Reactor Construction Project;
  • operations on BN-350 reactor decommissioning and radioactive wastes handling;
  • nuclear materials nonproliferation and international cooperation in nuclear power.

Participants of the conference had an opportunity to visit reactor complexes and test benches of the Institute of Atomic Energy of NNC RK, test areas and STS museum.

The Conference pointed out a high scientific level and practical significance of the papers presented, necessity of international cooperation in the field of peaceful use of nuclear power including personal contacts and communication between nuclear scientists from different countries.

The Conference highly evaluates the importance and significance of projects implemented by Kazakhstani Government such as "Interdisciplinary Accelerator Complex Construction at the L.N. Gumilev's Eurasian State University" in Astana, "Nuclear Medicine Center Establishment" in Alatau settlement, "Foundation of Kazakhstan Thermonuclear Material Studying Reactor-Tokamak KTM" and creation of technopark "Center of Nuclear Technologies" in Kurchatov, and a leading role of the National Nuclear Center of RK in the projects implementation.

Conference notes that Kazakhstan having such prerequisites for development of national nuclear energy as

  • over  25% of explored world uranium reserves;
  • availability of uranium mining and processing, fuel pellets production enterprises in Kazakhstan;
  • availability of highly qualified specialists in all basic directions of nuclear science and technology at the institutes of NNC RK, organizations and enterprises of nuclear-power complex,

could become some day a country with a developed nuclear infrastructure and use the power of atom and nuclear technologies in all spheres of workmanship.

Other information concerning the conference you will find in Section Conferences at page.

Back