Uzbekistan, Central Asia's doubly landlocked nation, begins construction of its first nuclear power plant

Uzbekistan has begun constructing its first nuclear power plant, a project that has been under discussion for nearly a decade and is now one of the largest energy initiatives in the country since the Soviet era. On June 4, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan and President Vladimir Putin of Russia jointly launched the project via video conference in St. Petersburg, with the construction site located in Fergana District, Jizzakh Region, also participating in the ceremony. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi also attended the event.

Between the night of June 4 and June 5, the foundation concrete pouring for the first small modular reactor unit officially began. The initial phase used 133 cubic meters of concrete, with the total expected volume exceeding 10,000 cubic meters. Uzbekatom, Uzbekistan’s state atomic energy company, has formally designated the site as an ongoing nuclear power plant according to IAEA standards.

The project is no longer the smaller reactor design agreed upon in 2024. The current plan combines two large VVER-1000 reactors with two small RITM-200N units. Once completed, the Jizzakh Nuclear Power Plant will have a total installed capacity exceeding 2.1 gigawatts. Both the large and small units will share the same site and supporting infrastructure. This shift has significantly increased the scale of the project—and along with it, financial and regulatory risks.

This latest version represents multiple revisions over time. Uzbekistan and Russia signed an intergovernmental agreement on peaceful uses of nuclear energy in 2017. In 2018, Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation, originally planned to build two VVER-1200 reactors. However, focus later shifted to the Jizzakh site. In May 2024, Uzbekistan and Rosatom signed a contract to construct a 330-megawatt small-scale nuclear power plant equipped with six RITM-200N reactors. Then, in 2025, the plan was revised again, with Tashkent and Moscow ultimately agreeing on the large hybrid reactor configuration currently under construction.

The timeline shows the duration from project initiation to when Uzbekistan expects to begin electricity generation. The first RITM-200N unit is expected to achieve criticality by the end of 2029, while the two larger VVER-1000 reactors are scheduled to come online in 2033 and 2035, respectively.

This acceleration reflects Uzbekistan’s rapidly growing electricity demand. According to the International Energy Agency, the country’s 2020–2030 electricity development plan aims to increase power generation from 63.6 billion kilowatt-hours in 2020 to 120.8 billion kilowatt-hours by 2030, while reducing reliance on natural gas for power generation. Uzbekistan generated 86.7 billion kilowatt-hours in 2025. Renewable energy is developing, but officials aim to ensure stable base-load power supply for industry and urban centers.

Estimates from Uzbekistan and Russia suggest the project will generate approximately 17 billion kilowatt-hours annually. Putin stated that the plant will account for about 15% of Uzbekistan’s electricity consumption in the future, a figure echoed by Reuters forecasts. These projections depend on the timing of each unit’s commissioning and future growth in electricity demand.

Financing remains one of the core challenges. Azim Ahmadkhodjaev, CEO of Uzbekatom, said the project’s baseline cost is $9.5 billion, which he described as the maximum limit for the contract amount. This estimate does not include planned local construction components—Uzbekistan aims to raise localization rates to 30%. Tashkent hopes loans will cover 85% to 90% of the funding and may discuss financing options with the New Development Bank and other partners.

Russia has also proposed financing solutions. Putin stated that Moscow will provide preferential export credits to Uzbekistan and offer support throughout the plant’s entire lifecycle, including fuel supply, maintenance, and spent nuclear fuel management. The loan amount and terms remain undisclosed. Previously, Tashkent indicated it would assess any Russian credit based on competitiveness of terms.

The future electricity tariff remains undetermined. Ahmadkhodjaev said the expected cost of nuclear power is below 1,000 Uzbek soms per kilowatt-hour, though no final price has been set. Final pricing will depend on market reforms, including the planned wholesale electricity market and direct contracts with large consumers using more than 1,000 megawatt-hours annually. Until financing and market rules become clearer, neither industry stakeholders nor consumers can know the final cost.

Water resources and safety will also impact the project. Uzbekistan has discussed adopting a dry cooling system for the nuclear plant—including technology from Hungary—to reduce water usage. Regulatory bodies will continue national oversight of licensing conditions, construction safety, and public and environmental protection. Mirziyoyev emphasized that safety is an absolute priority and affirmed that the plant will be ready to operate under IAEA supervision.

In May this year, Moscow signed a separate agreement to build a two-unit VVER-1200 nuclear power plant near Lake Balkhash, with export credit financing included. Kazakhstan has already launched the project, with early engineering and survey work underway. The nuclear plants in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan together will reinforce Rosatom’s long-standing role in the region’s energy infrastructure.

For Uzbekistan, the Jizzakh Nuclear Power Plant holds potential to establish a new domestic nuclear industry and deliver reliable, stable energy supply.

Source: Central Asia Times

Author: Stephen M. Bland

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867362274222088/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author.