Uzbekistan revises small nuclear power plant project, explores larger facility with Russia

Uzbekistan and Russia have signed a new agreement to explore the construction of a large-capacity nuclear power plant, while also revising plans for a previously announced small modular nuclear power plant (SMR).

The agreement between Uzbekistan’s Nuclear Energy Agency (Uzatom) and Russia’s state-owned Rosatom was formalized during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2025), building on discussions held during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Uzbekistan in May 2024.

The project under consideration involves the construction of two VVER-1000 pressurized water reactors, with an option to expand to four units. These Russian-designed reactors are already in use in China and India and have logged over 420 reactor-years of operation.

Uzatom director Azim Akhmedkhadjayev described the initiative as a step toward building a “reliable and balanced energy system” to meet Uzbekistan’s clean energy needs. A joint working group has been established to assess the key aspects and costs of the potential large-scale plant.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan has revised its small NPP project in Jizzakh. Originally planned to include six RITM-200N reactors of 55 MW each (330 MW total), the updated plan reduces this to two reactors with a combined capacity of 110 MW. These reactors are based on those used in Russian nuclear icebreakers, though a land-based version has yet to be built.

Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev noted that combining small and large NPPs could form a carbon-free energy cluster, boosting Uzbekistan’s industrial and economic development. He also emphasized that integrating both types of plants at one site could cut capital costs by at least 10%, with potential for further savings as revenue from the small plant begins flowing ahead of the large plant’s completion.

The joint effort marks the first planned deployment of a small modular reactor in Uzbekistan and highlights deepening Russian-Uzbek cooperation in the nuclear energy sector.

Copied