Uzbekistan and Norway have launched a new three-year initiative to strengthen the country’s radiation and nuclear safety framework as Tashkent prepares to build its first nuclear power plant and seeks to establish itself as a regional leader in the sector.
The project, financed under Norway’s Nuclear Action Plan, is being implemented jointly with Uzbekistan’s Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety and the Scientific and Technical Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety.
The initiative will focus on improving the country’s legal and regulatory framework, strengthening state oversight of radiation and nuclear safety, and introducing international best practice.
Representatives of the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) met Uzbek officials in Tashkent to review the project’s objectives, priority areas and practical measures to strengthen the national radiation and nuclear safety system.
The cooperation comes as Uzbekistan accelerates the development of its civilian nuclear energy programme.
Earlier this month, construction officially began on the country’s integrated nuclear power plant in Jizzakh region. The project combines two large VVER-1000 Generation III+ reactors with two small RITM-200N reactors, giving the facility a planned total capacity of more than 2.1 gigawatts.
The integrated design is intended to improve energy security while providing greater flexibility in electricity generation.
Uzatom Director Azim Akhmedkhadjayev said the country aims to apply the experience gained from the project beyond its own borders.
Speaking in an interview with the YouTube programme Alibaev.Politika, he said Uzbekistan plans to participate in the construction of integrated nuclear power plants abroad once it has developed sufficient domestic expertise.
According to Akhmedkhadjayev, the country’s integrated approach has already attracted international attention, with several member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation expressing interest in studying Uzbekistan’s model. He added that International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi has described the concept as an example for other countries.
“We will develop powerful competencies throughout the implementation of this project, and those competencies themselves will become an export product,” he said.
Uzatom estimates the macroeconomic impact of the integrated nuclear power project at around $165 billion, while the plant itself is expected to cost approximately $9.5 billion.
Officials say the project will stimulate industrial development, generate tax revenue, create new businesses and jobs, and help establish advanced manufacturing capabilities not previously available in Uzbekistan.
Beyond electricity generation, the government sees nuclear energy as a key part of its broader strategy to diversify the country’s energy mix, meet rising electricity demand, reduce carbon emissions and strengthen its technological capabilities.
Construction of the integrated nuclear power plant officially began on 4 June, with the first concrete poured at the site in Jizzakh region. The first small modular reactor is expected to become operational later this decade, while regulatory cooperation with international partners, including Norway, is expected to help ensure the programme develops in line with international nuclear safety standards.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August 30 and 2 Se...
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told ...
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has rejected claims that Moroccan authorities orchestrated July’s deadly mass border crossing int...
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland following renewed Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August 30 and 2 September.
From mounting concerns over record global debt levels to growing tensions over China's trade surplus and Russia's return to the negotiating table, this year's G20 finance meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, highlighted the challenges confronting the global economy.
The Iranian Army has again struck at U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for U.S. attacks on southern and western parts of Iran late on Tuesday, which reportedly killed 18 people and injured more than 100 others.
Georgia's economy grew by eight per cent in July, and if you're wondering what's behind the surge, the answer is the same one that's been doing the heavy lifting all year: oil.
Russia’s Rosatom and Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants have signed a contract to build two units at the Balkhash nuclear power plant, with a combined capacity of 2.4 gigawatts.
The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine has called on churches around the world to intervene after teachers and school staff from the West Bank were prevented from reaching Christian schools in Jerusalem.
Israel is ready to move Palestinians from Gaza as soon as the U.S. approves, the country’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has said. He told a conference hosted by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday that there was “no real solution” for Gaza without migration.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment