Urken Village along the shores of Lake Balkhash is about to undergo a comprehensive transformation. With the advancement of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant project, the area is no longer just a simple construction site, but is being developed into a fully functional modern settlement. Unlike traditional closed worker towns, the new city relies on the expansion of existing villages on site, and integrates residential, educational, medical, and commercial tourism planning to integrate nuclear power construction with local livelihood development, providing a complete home for tens of thousands of builders and nuclear industry practitioners.

Upgrade the village on site

Kazakhstan's Atomic Energy Agency Director Satkalyev disclosed that the nuclear industrial city will fully rely on the existing layout of Urken village and will not build a new closed independent worker living area. A complete set of residential buildings, schools, and comprehensive hospitals will be planned within the region, and a nuclear professional training center will be built simultaneously. Supporting facilities such as hotels and commercial services will also be implemented. Various temporary facilities during the construction period of nuclear power plants will not be directly abandoned after completion, but will be transformed into residential and commercial use. The new city will also introduce digital technology, rely on the natural conditions of Lake Balkhash, synchronously develop the waterfront leisure tourism industry, and create advanced livable towns along the coast.

Match employment needs

During the peak period of project construction, the construction site requires 15000 workers from various industries, covering multiple positions such as civil engineering, welding, equipment installation, automation, and quality control. After the nuclear power plant is officially put into commercial operation, only about 2000 core personnel are needed, including professionals in reactor operation, nuclear safety, equipment maintenance, and other fields. A large number of job opportunities will be released locally for domestic youth, and core industry experts can be allocated affordable housing to create conditions for nuclear industry talents to root in the local area. Keywords: Kazakhstan, Urken Nuclear Industry City, Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant

Multi party joint talent cultivation

Kazakhstan has established a complete talent training system for the nuclear industry, collaborating with domestic universities and collaborating with Chinese and Russian nuclear education institutions to carry out joint training. The National Bolashak International Scholarship is specifically designed for nuclear related majors, supporting master's and doctoral studies and arranging personnel to intern and train at top nuclear institutions overseas. Looking back at the origin of the project, in October 2024, a nationwide referendum was held in Kazakhstan, with 71.12% of the population supporting the construction of a nuclear power plant. The Balkhash nuclear power plant was built by the Russian original group as the general contractor, and the second Moynkum nuclear power plant is also planned to be located around Lake Balkhash.Editor/Li Xiaohua