00:00The new generation of nuclear energy,
00:03coal cables with high parameters of the power,
00:08all these are chains of one tube.
00:10You can't separate each other from each other.
00:12This will be the foundation of our energy systems in the future.
00:25To offset the increasing effects of climate change,
00:28Kazakhstan has set itself a goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2060,
00:32for which it plans to build nuclear power plants
00:35and increase the share of renewable energy.
00:37For the Kazakhstan economy, it's a huge challenge,
00:41as you know, in the future,
00:45the carbon generation in the country is 70%.
00:49For a country that depends on the cheap prices
00:53from the old carbon generation,
00:55it's a huge challenge.
00:57There are already 156 renewable energy projects operating in Kazakhstan,
01:02with nine more planned to launch this year.
01:04Overall, the country plans to bring renewable energy share
01:07in the country's energy balance to 15% by 2030 and to 50 by 2050.
01:13The main renewable energy sources in Kazakhstan are wind and sun.
01:20Depending on the region, it is sunny for 120 to 260 days a year.
01:26At the same time, 60% of the country have wind power above six meters per second,
01:31including this wind power plant located two hours from Astana.
01:35Our station was launched in 2015.
01:36Our station was launched in 2015.
01:38Its power is 45 megawatts.
01:40It allows the electric energy to have 30,000 homes.
01:42The 22 turbines at the power plant generate electricity throughout the year with little interruption.
01:48The station workers say there are only about two to three weeks a year without wind.
02:05Unfortunately, due to the changeable nature of renewable energy sources, countries have to diversify.
02:15With the carbon neutrality in mind, Kazakhstan decided to build not one but three nuclear power plants
02:21to address the increasing energy demand and offset the wearing down of current infrastructure.
02:47The energy expert notes that Kazakhstan is not unfamiliar with the nuclear industry.
02:51From 1973 till 1999, the country had a fast neutron reactor supplying electricity to the western city of Ahtau.
02:59The country also produces over 40% of the global uranium.
03:03Kazakhstan is the world's leading uranium producer.
03:06Roughly one in every three reactors in the world is supplied with the country's uranium.
03:11It powers facilities in India, China, Australia, France, Canada and many more.
03:17This is the central Moinkum uranium mining site of the Kazatomprom National Company.
03:22The company controls all of the uranium exploration in Kazakhstan and operates 14 mining enterprises,
03:2812 of which are in the form of joint ventures.
03:3045 to 50% of our experts go to the Asian market.
03:3725 to 30%, on average, very rough numbers, is Americas.
03:42And 25 to 30%, again, depending on the year, is European market.
03:48Kazakhstan uses in-city recovery method, which is more cost efficient and has lower environmental footprint.
03:54The extraction starts with drilling wells deep into the ground.
03:57The first well injects uranium ore with sulfuric acid solution, which dissolves the rock ore.
04:03At the processing plant, the uranium is extracted from the solution through processes,
04:12called sorption and desorption.
04:25This mine has more than 12,000 tons of uranium, which is a small portion of the 900,000 tons of uranium resources that the Kazakh land hides.
04:47With such reserves, the three future power plants will have plenty of fuel to not only satisfy the country's energy demand, but also export energy.
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