On May 27, Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom and the Uzbek government signed an agreement on the construction of a small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan.
The agreement was signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Uzbekistan.
The project involves the construction of a small nuclear power plant in the Jizzakh region of Uzbekistan based on a Russian design, with a total capacity of 330 MW (six reactors with a capacity of 55 MW each).
Rosatom will be the general contractor for the project.
Director General of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev said that construction will start this summer.
According to Likhachev, the construction of the nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan will be fully financed by Tashkent, RIA Novosti reported on May 27. “Financing is from the Uzbek side. The issue of a [Russian] state loan is not discussed,” Likhachev told Russia’s Channel One.
Following his talks with Putin in Tashkent, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said, “Almost all the leading countries in the world ensure their energy security and sustainable development through nuclear energy. If we think about the prospects for Uzbekistan entering a new stage of development, then this project is vital for our country, which has large reserves of uranium and exports it to third countries.”
Advocating the need of a nuclear power plant for Uzbekistan, Director of Uzbekistan’s Atomic Energy Agency Azim Akhmedkhadjaev said, “According to forecasts, the demand for energy resources in Uzbekistan will almost double by 2050. It is evident that for the stable operation of the energy system and economic development, our country must ensure a base-load power source in addition to renewable energy sources.”
Director of the Center for Research Initiatives Ma’no, Bakhtiyor Ergashev believes that for Uzbekistan, nuclear energy is the only solution if the country wants to have cheap and constant electricity generation, taking into account the limited hydropower resources and the goal to reduce its electricity generation by burning coal and natural gas, Podrobno.uz reported on 1 April 2024.
According to Ergashev, nuclear energy is globally recognized as green, and neither solar nor wind power plants will be able to power large data centers that require constant power supply.
Deputy Director of the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Ilkhom Sadikov earlier told UzbekistanToday why it was necessary to build a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan.
According to Sadikov, electricity produced by nuclear power plants is the cheapest compared to all other sources. It is also the most environmentally friendly source. Radioactive waste is generated in small quantities, and most importantly, unlike waste from power plants that burn fossil fuel, it is controlled. Moreover, Uzbekistan is among the top ten countries in terms of uranium production and can provide itself with cheap fuel.
Sadikov believes that Rosatom has been chosen to build the first nuclear plant in Uzbekistan because the Russian company has a full cycle nuclear technology. In addition, it will provide local personnel training and licensed technology transfer.
Uzbek economist Behzod Hoshimov, however, raises questions concerning the choosing of Rosatom, a Russian state-owned company, the contractor for the Uzbek nuclear plant construction. He wrote on his Telegram channel that countries like France and Japan have highly developed atomic energy industries, and if the Japanese and the Russians offer the same price, the Japanese should be chosen, as in that case, the political risks are much lower. The Russian-Ukrainian war is still not over, and if new sanctions are introduced against Russia and/or Rosatom, they would also hit Uzbekistan and its nuclear plant.
Some analysts see a political aspect in this issue, reflected in the strengthening economic ties between Russia and Uzbekistan. It is also worth noting that Uzbekistan recently began importing natural gas from Russia in an effort to meet its growing energy needs.
