Building is underway on Uzbekistan’s first nuclear energy plant at a web site in Jizzakh area’s Forish district. On March 24, the heads of Uzatom and Rosatom – partnering within the mission – signed extra paperwork and celebrated the begin of concrete pouring.
In a remark to journalists, Uzatom Director Azim Ahmedkhodjayev stated, “At the moment is a major day for the way forward for Uzbekistan – we’ve taken a decisive step in implementing the nationwide program to develop trendy nuclear power.”
In Could 2024, throughout a state go to to Uzbekistan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev shook fingers on a deal the latter known as “very important”: the development of a nuclear energy plant in Uzbekistan.
Earlier discussions – following a December 2017 nuclear cooperation settlement – had centered on the attainable building of two VVER-1200 pressurized water reactors, with a 2.5 GW capability. The plan had been beset by funding questions, at the same time as Russia pushed to hurry up the mission.
By 2024, the mission had been scaled all the way down to a nuclear energy plant consisting of six small modular reactors (SMRs) with a capability of 55 MW every – or 330 MW whole.
In Could 2024, Rosatom Director Basic Alexey Likhachev boasted that building would begin that summer season.
Excavation work launched in December 2025. On the time, Uzbek media reported a barely totally different configuration: two SMRs, particularly RITM-200N reactors, with a capability of 55 megawatts every will likely be constructed first, adopted at some later level by the development of two VVER-1000 reactors, every producing 1 GW.
At the side of the beginning of concrete pouring this week, Ahmadkhodjayev and Likhachev signed a cooperative “roadmap” overlaying the phases of the NPP building, the coaching of personnel, and the creation of infrastructure for the longer term “nuclear metropolis,” envisioned to help the plant. An settlement on the up to date configuration was additionally inked.
As soon as totally operational, Uzbek authorities declare that the plant will meet over 15 p.c of Uzbekistan’s electrical energy wants – round 16-17 billion kWh per yr.
Uzbekistan’s electrical energy consumption has soared over the past decade in tandem with its booming inhabitants and modernization of trade. Earlier this month, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Power reported the marking of a brand new file in day by day electrical energy consumption: 267 million kWh. On the identical day, energy vegetation throughout the nation generated a complete of 272 million kWh.
The majority of Uzbekistan’s electrical energy – 76 p.c, in line with 2023 knowledge – is generated from pure gasoline, adopted by coal (11.1 p.c), hydropower (9.3 p.c), and oil (2.8 p.c). Photo voltaic era has expanded from nothing in 2020 to 622 GWh by 2023 however stays a marginal supply, as does wind.
The Uzbek authorities is seeking to nuclear energy as a viable pathway out of the bind by which it finds itself: a booming inhabitants and the rising calls for of quickly increasing trade are going to quickly exceed the nation’s current power manufacturing capabilities. The nation’s export obligations – gasoline to China and electrical energy to Afghanistan – additional complicate the image. Gasoline shortages and electrical energy outages in recent times have underscored the skinny line Tashkent is strolling.
The nuclear energy plant at Jizzah can’t be completed quickly sufficient. The primary unit at in Forish district is deliberate to go essential in late 2029, if building stays on schedule.
