Uzbekistan and Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation Rosatom will jointly build both large- and small-scale nuclear power plants as part of an expanded bilateral energy cooperation project. The announcement was made following a meeting of the intergovernmental working group on boosting trade turnover, held during the Tashkent International Investment Forum.
According to the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, the updated agreement calls for the construction of a two-unit large-capacity nuclear power plant in addition to the already planned two-unit small-capacity plant.
“Last year, we launched the construction of a small-capacity nuclear power plant. This year, the heads of state agreed to reshape the project, expanding it to include both large and small facilities,” the ministry said.
The meeting was attended by Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov and Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov.
Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev confirmed in April that construction of the first small nuclear plant in Uzbekistan could begin within a year. He added that the corporation had ready proposals, including technical designs and financial models, for larger nuclear facilities—should Uzbekistan decide to pursue them.
The small nuclear plant project, agreed upon in spring 2024, marks Rosatom’s first export of a small modular reactor (SMR). A protocol signed last fall outlined the preparation of technical design and documentation for the facility.
The SMR project includes six reactors, each with a capacity of 55 megawatts, with construction scheduled to begin in summer 2025. Commissioning will take place gradually between 2029 and 2033. Uzbekistan has already approved the construction site, and financing will come from the Uzbek side. No Russian loan is currently under discussion.
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