Latest news with #Rosatom
Daily Maverick
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Sanction Rosatom and send clear signal that occupation of nuclear plants will not be tolerated
The occupation by Russia of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is the first instance in history where a nuclear power plant has been militarily occupied and operated for over three years during active warfare. The deadline that US President Donald Trump had established for Russia to start a ceasefire, stop its aggression against Ukraine, or otherwise face the threat of sanctions was 8 August 2025. This was the sixth time that Trump had demanded that Vladimir Putin stop the war; however, Putin had previously declined such offers. The day passed uneventfully. During the 11 years of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, numerous peace initiatives have emerged, including the African Peace Mission. But analysts see little sign that Putin is prepared to abandon his intention to take control of Ukraine. In 2022, Russia declared in its Constitution that four Ukrainian regions were part of its territory, but failed to fully take over any of them militarily. Now Putin would have to amend the Russian constitution to halt the aggression at the current frontline — a highly risky political move that could bring about the end of his political power. Thus, he is demanding that Ukrainians leave their homes 'voluntarily' because the Russian army failed to take these territories by force. In July this year, Russia launched more than 6,000 drones and fired dozens of missiles targeting Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, killing civilians far from the frontline. Just in the first half of this year, 6,754 civilians have been killed or injured, according to the UN. The war remains intense, and no one is safe in Ukraine. Nevertheless, hopes are high again for 15 August, when Trump is expected to meet with Putin in Alaska, the territory the US once bought from Russia. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has previously spoken in support of Ukraine's territorial integrity, also spoke with both the Russian and Ukrainian presidents last week, raising expectations that a ceasefire may be possible. Sanctions The expectations are that Trump can speak from a position of strength and threaten sanctions. However, given Russia's negligible trade with the US, what sanctions could Trump introduce that would be meaningful? The Russian state budget used to receive about 50% of its revenue from oil and gas exports; this had already dropped to 30% in 2024. Further sanctions could seriously undermine the Kremlin's ability to fund the war, which is expensive to run. In 2025, a record 40% of Russia's state budget has been allocated to defence and security. Another 6%-10% of revenue comes from the Russian state agency Rosatom, which serves a dual role: developing civilian nuclear reactors and acting as a strategic arm of the Kremlin's military sector by producing parts for non-nuclear weapons and other defence technologies. Rosatom's subsidiaries supply components to Russia's military-industrial complex, including drone technologies. Some of these facilities, such as the drone production factory in Alabuga, have been accused by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime of recruiting African women aged 18 to 22 to drone production under allegedly false promises of a 'work-study programme'. Rosatom, whose regional office has operated in South Africa since 2012, plays a key role in the military occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, seized by Russian military forces in March 2022 and turned into a geopolitical hostage. The occupation of the plant is the first instance in history where a nuclear power plant has been militarily occupied and has been operated for more than three years during active warfare. Rosatom plays a key role in this precedent. The violations of the International Atomic Energy Agency's seven nuclear safety pillars — the physical integrity of facilities, operability of safety systems, autonomy of staff decision-making, secure off-site power, uninterrupted logistics, effective radiation monitoring and reliable communication with regulators — have already been documented at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The detailed analysis of these violations and what they mean for the African continent is presented in the Policy Brief on Nuclear Safety during Military Invasion, presented ahead of the African Union's Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in Accra in July 2024. The brief presents a comprehensive case study of nuclear vulnerability during wartime and calls for urgent action by African countries, including South Africa, to prevent similar situations on the continent. However, the challenges at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant go beyond the risk of physical damage to the facility. In May 2025, the International Labour Organization (ILO) reported that 13 Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant employees had been abducted, including three cases this year. The whereabouts of at least one detained worker remains unknown. The organisation also documented forced labour, coerced union membership and serious occupational safety risks for staff. Pressure to sign contracts More than 40 documented witness accounts by human rights organisations such as Truth Hounds suggest that since March 2022, Rosatom experts were fully aware of the pressure that the military personnel were putting on the nuclear operators to sign contracts with Rosatom. They were aware of interrogations, detentions, torture, psychological coercion and decisions to deny shift rotations. This is not a technical dispute. It is a systematic breach of international humanitarian law and nuclear safety norms, and of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. International mechanisms such as the UN have been powerless in the face of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant occupation. In July 2024, the UN passed a resolution — 'Safety and security of nuclear facilities of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant' — condemning the Russian occupation of the plant and calling for the immediate withdrawal of military forces to ensure global nuclear safety. Many African countries supported this resolution, recognising the threat to international peace posed by the militarisation of a civilian nuclear site. In addition, 13 African states — including Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia — endorsed the Peace Summit Communiqué in Switzerland, affirming Ukraine's sovereign control over its nuclear sites. However, these international documents lack binding power. Torture Instead, sanctions or a refusal to cooperate with organisations that support torture could reduce the funding available for the war. Such sanctions can be implemented by any country that aims to promote human rights and nuclear safety. South Africa co-chairs the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Ukraine is one of the few countries that gave up its nuclear weapons, despite holding the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal prior to 1994. That year, it voluntarily disarmed, joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty, accepted International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, and allowed international inspections. In return, the US, the UK and Russia committed to respecting and protecting Ukraine's borders and sovereignty. The silence and acceptance of military risks, and the violations of international labour practices, corporate responsibilities and human rights, show why governments that want to protect their population must act — not in reaction to a European war, but in defence of their own nuclear future. DM Dzvinka Kachur is with the Ukrainian Association of South Africa. Volodymyr Lakomov and Ilko Kucheriv are with the Democratic Initiatives Foundation.
IOL News
14 hours ago
- Business
- IOL News
Kazakhstan and Russia Break Ground on Landmark Nuclear Power Project – Lessons for South Africa's Energy Future
/ Image: Yandex In the quiet village of Ulken, on the shores of Lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan's Almaty Region, a drilling rig bites into the earth. It marks the start of a project set to redefine the country's energy landscape for decades to come — and one that should spark serious reflection in South Africa. On 8 August 2025, Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, and the Kazakh Agency for Atomic Energy began the first stage of their high-capacity nuclear power plant (NPP) project. The initial focus is on precision: 50 boreholes, each up to 120 metres deep, will be drilled to gather seismic, hydrological and geological data. This painstaking work ensures the site meets the highest safety and reliability standards before any construction begins. The plant will use Generation III+ VVER-1200 pressurised water reactors — advanced technology already in operation or under construction in Russia, Belarus, Turkey, Bangladesh, Egypt and China. Each unit will generate 1,200 megawatts of electricity with a service life of 60 years, extendable to 80. For Kazakhstan, it promises long-term energy security, a significant cut in carbon emissions, and entry into the high-tech industrial sector. Image: Yandex The Kazakh government has been clear about the benefits: new schools, kindergartens, modern infrastructure, and jobs in a sector that can keep skilled engineers in the country. Almasadam Satkaliyev, Chair of the Atomic Energy Agency, described it as 'the first step towards a new high-tech sector in the national economy.' South Africa, meanwhile, has struggled to move beyond one ageing nuclear facility. Koeberg remains our sole operational plant, limping towards a life-extension while energy security falters. The political toxicity surrounding a nuclear deal with Russia during the Zuma years left the sector in limbo. That deadlock shifted slightly this week when Environment Minister Dion George granted Eskom partial environmental approval to build a new nuclear power station at Duynefontein, adjacent to Koeberg. This follows an eight-year legal battle and is only one step in a longer process, but it signals that nuclear expansion may be re-entering the national agenda. Image: Yandex Kazakhstan's approach offers a clear lesson. The country has not shied away from its nuclear past, which includes the Semipalatinsk test site and the BN-350 reactor in Aktau. Instead, it is building public trust through transparency and rigorous safety measures. The current survey phase — the most regulation-bound stage — ensures construction will only proceed once hard geological evidence confirms the site's suitability under both national and International Atomic Energy Agency standards. For South Africa, nuclear energy remains a viable route to energy sovereignty. While Western-backed 'green' finance often locks developing nations into dependency on imported technology and donor approval, projects like Ulken show there are alternatives that combine local industry, long-term planning, and multipolar cooperation. If Kazakhstan can move from agreement to full-scale geological and seismic surveys within a year, South Africa can shift from political stalemate to a tangible nuclear build programme. In a rapidly changing world, the question is whether we will power our future on our own terms or under someone else's direction. ****Gillian Greer Schutte is an award-winning South African filmmaker, writer, and critical race theorist whose work bridges media, politics, and social justice. An honorary lecturer at Wits University's Graduate School of Public and Development Management, she has produced globally used hypermedia and film case studies in collaboration with the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Widely published in academic journals and international newspapers, her work interrogates poverty, geopolitics, extractive mining, and neoliberal economics across the Global South, with documentaries and hybrid films that challenge dominant narratives and amplify marginalised voices.
The Diplomat
a day ago
- Business
- The Diplomat
Survey Work Begins in Kazakhstan for Russia-Built Nuclear Power Plant
A groundbreaking ceremony marked the formal start of the project, which could take a decade to complete and require investment of $15 billion. Work has officially begun in the village of Ulken, in Almaty Region on the shore of Lake Balkhash, on Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant. It will be at least a decade before the plant is completed, and officials say the total investment in the project will be around $14-15 billion. While Russia was selected to take the lead on constructing Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant, China is slated to take the lead on two additional power plants. On Friday, Kazakh government officials — including the head of Kazakhstan's Atomic Energy Agency, Almasadam Satkaliyev, and Marat Sultangaziyev, akim of Almaty Region — and Alexey Likhachev, director general of Russia's Rosatom, marked the launch of the project with a groundbreaking ceremony which involved drilling for a soil sample. In his remarks, as reported by Kazinform, Satkaliyev stated that the ceremonial start of the project marks the beginning of engineering and survey work. A Rosatom press release stated that initial work will focus on determining an optimal site and preparing designs. 'The launch of engineering surveys in Ulken marks the beginning of the journey toward the first high-capacity nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan's modern history,' Likhachev said. In October 2024, Kazakhstan held a referendum on the question of whether the country should pursue the construction of a nuclear power plant. The nuclear question in Kazakhstan is particularly fraught. On the one hand, nuclear power is attractive and within reach. Kazakhstan is believed to possess 12 percent of global uranium reserves and, as of 2022, produced 43 percent of the world's uranium. But Kazakhstan was the site of 456 nuclear tests carried out by the Soviet Union between 1949 and 1989 at the Semipalatinsk facility. All issues nuclear are especially sensitive. Although the referendum passed with over 70 percent in favor, the information campaigns and debates ahead of the vote were constricted. As I remarked in September 2024 ahead of the referendum: Given Kazakhstan's constrained political environment, the ultimate vote may not adequately reflect the complexity of public opinion on the issue. Referendums in Kazakhstan don't fail: Constitutional referendums in 1995 and 2022 passed easily, and a 1995 referendum on extending Nazarbayev's first post-independence term passed with 96 percent in favor. As has happened before various referendums and elections, activists in opposition to the proposals have found themselves under pressure. Activists campaigning against the nuclear power plant did, indeed, meet with pressure and in some cases detention. In June, Rosatom was selected by the Kazakh authorities to take the lead on the construction of the country's first nuclear power plant, beating out China's China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), France's Électricité de France (EDF), and South Korea's Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP). That announcement was paired with news that China would take the lead on constructing Kazakhstan's second nuclear power plant. In August, Kazakhstan's First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar said that CNNC would also build Kazakhstan's third nuclear power plant. There are few details about the latter two projects, with some reports suggesting sites such as Kurchatov, adjacent to the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan's east, and Aktau, once home to a Soviet-era BN-350 fast neutron reactor, in the country's west. Sklyar suggested that locations could be identified before the end of the year. With regard to the Rosatom project, Sklyar said intergovernmental negotiations were ongoing and that once finalized, the agreement would be submitted to parliament for ratification. He also outlined the general plans: The Ulken plant is envisioned to include two units 'with a combined capacity of 2.4 GWe and is expected to be operational by 2035.' Nuclear power is of considerable interest across the region, which struggles with imbalanced energy resources, aging or poorly modernized infrastructure, and increasing demand for electricity. Oil and gas-rich Kazakhstan imports electricity from Tajikistan, as does Uzbekistan. Both also import gas from Russia, and both are collaborating with Rosatom on nuclear power plants. A 330-megawatt nuclear power plant, with six reactors, is to be built in Uzbekistan's Jizzakh Region. Agreements were signed in May 2024 between Rosatom and UzAtom. The first concrete is scheduled for pouring in March 2026. Neighboring Kyrgyzstan is also eyeing nuclear power to address its growing energy demands. In November 2022, Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement with Rosatom to conduct a feasibility study on the possibility of constructing a small-capacity nuclear power plant. In June 2024, Kyrgyzstan's authorities lifted a 2019 ban on uranium mining. Earlier this year, the results of the Rosatom feasibility study were submitted to Kyrgyzstan.
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Russia begins work on neighbor's first nuclear power plant
State-owned Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom has launched engineering surveys to determine the site of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant. Project officials have described the undertaking as strategically important for the country's future. Despite Western efforts to squeeze Russian technology out of global markets following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Rosatom has continued working on projects while signing new contracts in multiple countries. In a statement on Friday, the corporation said 'engineering surveys to determine the optimal site and prepare design documentation for the future high-capacity NPP' were underway in Kazakhstan's Almaty Region. Rosatom CEO Aleksey Likhachev, who attended the launch ceremony, described the project as 'strategically important for Kazakhstan's development.' Kazakhstan's atomic energy agency chief, Almasadam Satkaliyev, similarly hailed the undertaking as the country's 'strategic choice and a driver of long-term regional and national economic growth.' According to Rosatom, the nuclear power plant will feature Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactors, which have proven their value at multiple facilities in Russia, Belarus, Turkey, Bangladesh, Egypt, and China. The facility is expected to become operational by 2036. Earlier this year, Kazakh authorities also announced plans for two additional nuclear plants, to be built by the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). Since January, Rosatom has signed cooperation agreements with Malaysia, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. The Russian state corporation is also building India's largest nuclear power plant, Kudankulam, where it is the only foreign contractor. In Europe, Rosatom began work on Hungary's second nuclear plant in 2014. The project had stalled due to US sanctions but resumed earlier this year after Washington lifted restrictions. In Türkiye, another NATO member state, Rosatom is constructing the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. In 2023, President Vladimir Putin hailed Rosatom as unmatched globally, with a portfolio spanning multiple continents.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Kazakhstan to begin producing its own nuclear fuel
ALMATY, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan, the world's largest uranium producer, plans to produce its own nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants being built in the Central Asian country in the coming years, its atomic energy agency said on Friday. Kazakhstan does not yet have its own nuclear power plants, but its uranium reserves, which make up about 15% of the world's total, are second only to Australia's. In October, 71.12% of voters in Kazakhstan supported the construction of a nuclear power plant. On Friday, Russia's Rosatom began work on the first nuclear plant, in Kazakhstan's southeastern village of Ulken, local media reported. The engineering and survey work was started by a subsidiary of Rosatom, and will last at least 18 months, with construction of the plant expected to be completed in 2035. Two more nuclear plants in Kazakhstan are expected to be built by China. Nuclear power has been promoted by the government of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as a way to gradually wean Kazakhstan's growing economy off polluting coal-fired power. By 2035, Kazakhstan plans to have 2.4 gigawatts of nuclear capacity.
