ALMATY — The United States and Kazakhstan are expanding their civil nuclear energy partnership with new initiatives focused on small modular reactors (SMRs), workforce development, and feasibility studies, the U.S. Embassy in Astana announced on Dec. 22.
An SMR classroom simulator will serve as a regional training hub to facilitate safe and secure SMR deployment across Central Asia. Photo credit: kz.usembassy.gov
Under the U.S. Department of State’s Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) program, the Kazakhstan Institute of Nuclear Physics in Almaty will receive an SMR classroom simulator supplied by U.S. vendors Holtec International and WSC, with implementation support from the International Science and Technology Center.
The simulator will serve as a regional training hub, supporting the safe and secure deployment of SMR technology across Central Asia and helping to develop a skilled nuclear workforce aligned with the highest safety, security, and nonproliferation standards.
In parallel, the FIRST program, in partnership with U.S. engineering firm Sargent & Lundy, has launched an SMR feasibility study in Kazakhstan. The project aims to identify a shortlist of U.S. SMR technologies suitable for potential deployment sites, providing a technical foundation for future nuclear energy decisions.
Kazakhstan has participated in the FIRST program since 2022 and became its first partner in Central Asia. Launched in 2019, the initiative supports responsible global deployment of SMRs by combining U.S. industry expertise with strict international standards on nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation.