this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2024
94 points (98.0% liked)

World News

38763 readers
3884 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Kazakhstan is the world's top producer of uranium but has no nuclear power plant of its own. That could change with Sunday's vote on the issue.

Kazakhstan voted on Sunday in a referendum on whether to construct the country's first nuclear power plant to overcome chronic electricity shortages.

The result is to be announced on Monday.

The issue is a controversial one in the former Soviet republic, which was exposed to radiation on a massive scale during nuclear tests conducted by the USSR. The possible involvement of Russia in the project has also been of concern to some.

However, opposition to the project seems to have been repressed by the country's government, with local private media reporting dozens of arrests of critics in the run-up to Sunday's referendum.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] FlyingSquid 10 points 1 day ago (2 children)

With possible Russian involvement in the project, this does not sound like good news. But I hope it does get them off of their reliance on fossil fuels and not just transfer that current coal reliance to Russian oil while a nuclear plant never actually gets built.

https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/02/russias-influence-kazakhstan-increasing-despite-war-ukraine

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don't know a lot about KZ's current politics, but I know a little. The article talks about Russian involvement, which is interesting, given that Kazakhstan largely imports their oil from Russia. Their attempts to build nuclear have usually been opposed by Russia. Trying to figure out the play here.

[–] FlyingSquid 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Russia is also bidding to build the plant. I also wouldn't be shocked if they would be the ones supplying the plant with fissile material.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Not likely. Kazakhstan is the world's number one producer of Uranium. So unless the plant requires enrichment in a way that only Russia can provide, I would presume they'd be their own provider.

Actually, that would be very Russia.

[–] FlyingSquid 2 points 1 day ago

The other way around then. A deal to provide fissile material to Russia.

[–] Aqarius 2 points 1 day ago

IIRC, most fissile fuel, worldwide, is from Russia. I know most of France's is.