As reported by the Agency, the name "Balkhash" won the competition, which involved 882 participants, making it the most popular among the proposed options. The chosen wording also aligns with international practice, where nuclear power plants are named based on geographical principles.
Additionally, the commission approved the names in Russian and English: Атомная электростанция «Балхаш» and Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant.
More than 100 different names were considered during the competition, and over 27,000 Kazakhstani citizens over the age of 16 participated in the voting. Participants suggested 10,500 unique ideas for names.
The competition took place from September 25 to October 10, 2025, on the eGov Mobile platform at the initiative of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The commission was established on September 5, 2025, and included experts in the fields of nuclear energy, philology, history, as well as representatives of the public.
The construction of the first nuclear power plant began in the village of Ulken in the Zhambyl district of Almaty region, with work starting on August 8, and the consortium for construction is led by Rosatom.
