Uzbekistan and Russia are preparing to sign a contract for the construction of Uzbekistan’s first large-scale nuclear power plant by March 2026.
The plant will be located in the Farish district of Jizzakh region and will include four reactors: two VVER-1000 (Generation III+) units and two smaller RITM-200N reactors, each rated at about 55 MW. Construction is planned to proceed in several stages.
Abduzhamil Kalmuratov, head of Uzbekistan's Directorate for Nuclear power plant construction, confirmed the plans saying, “We plan to sign the contract before the end of the first quarter of 2026. It is a long, delicate and detailed process; we must consider localisation volumes, determine who will supply what, and calculate logistics.”
Project documents state that the scheme will prioritise local participation, with up to 70% of the workforce expected to be Uzbek.
Authorities estimate the construction phase could involve around 20,000 workers and include development of supporting infrastructure such as housing, schools and public facilities in nearby communities.
The nuclear project comes as Russian gas deliveries to Central Asia have increased this year. Supply to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have risen by about 15% in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
Also, in 2024 Gazprom delivered 5.64 billion cubic meters of gas to Uzbekistan, up from 1.28 billion in 2023.
Officials describe the nuclear project and expanded gas cooperation as complementary elements of a broader energy diversification strategy.
In the short term, gas supplies are intended to meet immediate demand; in the longer term, the nuclear station is expected to provide stable, low-carbon baseload capacity.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not think he will need China's help to end the war with Iran as he le...
This is the third and final article in AnewZ’s series examining the fight for access to treatment for children with Duchenne muscular dystrop...
Russian forces have launched renewed attacks across Ukraine following the expiry of a short U.S.-mediated ceasefire, Ukrainian officials said, mark...
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has again been impeached by the country’s lower house, more than a...
Trade between the United Arab Emirates and Syria more than doubled in 2025, a UAE minister said on Tuesday duri...
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has again been impeached by the country’s lower house, more than a year after an earlier impeachment complaint against her was dismissed on constitutional grounds.
Trade between the United Arab Emirates and Syria more than doubled in 2025, a UAE minister said on Tuesday during an investment forum in Damascus that reflected rapidly improving ties between the two countries.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 13th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Former Georgia rugby captain Merab Sharikadze has been banned for 11 years after an anti-doping probe uncovered sample swapping in the national team. Several other players and the Georgian Rugby Union were also sanctioned
Kuwait arrested four members of an IRGC-linked group as they tried to enter the country by sea, the Gulf state's KUNA news agency reported on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a senior IRGC officer said Iran had expanded its definition of the Strait of Hormuz to include a far wider area.
Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku has been elected the 142nd head of the Georgian Orthodox Church at a meeting of clergy in Tbilisi following the death of longtime Patriarch Ilia II.
Biological samples from an Italian man were transferred to a specialist hospital for testing on Tuesday, after he was suspected of contracting hantavirus. Meanwhile, World Health Organization boss Tedros Ghebreyesus said there were “no sign” of a larger outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise.
Afghanistan has signed a five-year gold mining contract with Afghan and Azerbaijani companies in a deal worth more than $20m, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has said.
Exclusive flight-tracking material obtained by AnewZ has raised new questions about French military aircraft movements linked to President Emmanuel Macron’s recent diplomacy with Armenia and the wider scope of France’s defence cooperation with Yerevan.
This is the third and final article in AnewZ’s series examining the fight for access to treatment for children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in Georgia, and the irreversible human cost of delay.
Former Georgia rugby captain Merab Sharikadze has been banned for 11 years after an anti-doping probe uncovered sample swapping in the national team. Several other players and the Georgian Rugby Union were also sanctioned
AnewZ has premiered its new investigative documentary, Shadow of the Cross, examining the power, history and contested role of one of the world’s most recognised humanitarian symbols.
Uzbekistan Energy Week 2026 has opened in Tashkent, bringing together international energy companies, government officials and industry experts to discuss energy security, technological transformation and regional cooperation.
Japan’s first import of crude oil from Azerbaijan has highlighted the country’s energy vulnerability and renewed efforts to diversify supply chains beyond the Middle East, according to Professor Sejiro Takeshita of the University of Shizuoka.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment