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.

The referendum will be considered valid if at least 50% of eligible voters cast a ballot, with the result expected to be in favor.

To ensure a high turnout, Kazakhs are being allowed to vote even if they are not enrolled on electoral registers.

Why do Kazakh authorities want a nuclear plant?

Although Kazakhstan has abundant oil, in addition to producing nearly half the world's uranium, the Central Asian nation faces frequent electricity shortages owing to the failure of its coal-powered and hydroelectric plants to meet domestic demand.  

The country is also seeking to break free from its reliance on coal, which is considered highly polluting.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has touted the nuclear plant as "the biggest project in the history of independent Kazakhstan."

 "The referendum in itself is more proof of the enormous changes in Kazakhstan over the past five years — another clear demonstration of the concept of a state that listens," Tokayev said ahead of the vote.

China, France, Russia and South Korea have all put in bids to build the new power station, which is to be located on the shores of Lake Balkhash near the semi-abandoned village of Ulken in the Kazakh steppes.

The Cabinet estimates that a nuclear power plant would cost $10 billion-$12 billion (€9.1-10.9 billion) to build.

Negative nuclear sentiment

Opponents of the nuclear plant say Kazakhstan's energy needs could be met by using less-polluting gas-powered plants, which also come with fewer risks than the nuclear option.

Some residents of the area around Lake Balkhash have also expressed concern that the project could negatively affect the quality of water in the lake.

Kazakhstan's nuclear history is a checkered one, as the country was the site of hundreds of Soviet nuclear weapons tests from 1949 to 1989 that rendered large areas uninhabitable and caused illness among people living nearby.

Tens of thousands of Kazakhs also became ill after helping in clean-up operations following the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl in 1986 in Ukraine, then also a Soviet republic.

tj/rm (Reuters, AFP)