Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed the presidential decree setting the date for a national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant. The referendum will take place on 6 October.

The president announced the date of the referendum in his annual state-of-the-nation address on Monday, saying the country is in "dire need of reliable and environmentally-friendly" sources of energy. Nuclear can "largely" meet the rapidly growing needs of the Kazakh economy, but any decision on nuclear must be taken with the support of the people, he said.

The topic has now been "on the public agenda" for a year since his announcement of plans for a referendum in last year's state-of-the-nation address, Tokayev said. "I believe that this is a sufficient time for citizens to make a balanced decision. In this regard, I support the Government's proposal. A national referendum on the construction of the nuclear power plant will be held on 6 October this year, today I will sign the corresponding Decree."

The decree, formally published on 3 September, came into effect on its signature on 2 September. The referendum will submit the question "Do you agree with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?"

Kazakhstan is the world's leading producer of uranium. Although it does not currently use nuclear energy, it is not without nuclear experience: it has three operating research reactors, and a Russian-designed BN-350 sodium-cooled fast reactor operated near Aktau for 26 years, until 1999.

Kazakhstan has been preparing for a possible nuclear power programme to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, diversify its energy mix and reduce CO2 emissions for some time. Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP), a subsidiary of Kazakhstan's Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund JSC, was set up in 2014. As well as being designated as the owner/operator of a future plant, KNPP is tasked with pre-project work including a feasibility study to justify the need for nuclear power - carried out in 2018 - and locating a site. Although no site has been formally announced, a site at Ulken, on the shores of Lake Balkhash, has been identified as the most suitable location. The proposed first nuclear power plant would be a large reactor but there are also options for using small modular reactors to replace retiring coal plants in the years to come.