Rosatom Plans to Start Construction of Large Nuclear Power Units in Uzbekistan in 2027

Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, stated during an inspection of the construction site of the planned nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan that the company plans to officially launch construction of the large nuclear power units at the plant in 2027. Prior to this, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a working meeting with Likhachev on October 23 regarding the progress of the relevant project.

Currently, two Small Modular Reactors (SMR) are already under construction at the project site in the Jizzakh region. The first batch of concrete for the foundation slab was poured at the site in May this year, and the entire foundation slab construction is expected to be fully completed by the end of this year. Likhachev noted that this small nuclear facility is a unique and advanced small nuclear power plant project globally, and is currently the only project of its kind worldwide implemented under an export model.

In addition to the small units, the Uzbek side also plans to build two large 1,000-megawatt-class units adjacent to the small reactors. Rosatom stated that engineering surveys and design optimization are currently being carried out in an orderly manner at the site, and the relevant engineering work is expected to be fully underway next year. Likhachev revealed that more than 1,000 construction personnel are already working at the site, and the workforce is expected to at least double within the coming months. The company also stated that it plans to subcontract a considerable portion of conventional civil engineering work to local Uzbek enterprises.

Meanwhile, manufacturing of long-lead equipment is proceeding in parallel, with the pressure vessel for one of the small reactors already completed. According to the plan, recruitment of operating personnel for the first small nuclear unit will begin before the end of 2027. In addition, a "nuclear industry new town" with an initial capacity for 33,000 residents will be built adjacent to the nuclear power plant. During the meeting, President Mirziyoyev and Likhachev also held in-depth discussions on professional nuclear energy personnel training and supporting construction plans for the residential area, including energy-efficient housing, modern education, healthcare, and sports facilities.

The cooperation on this project began in May 2024 during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Uzbekistan, when the two sides signed a contract to build a nuclear power plant with a total installed capacity of 330 MW, originally planned to use six RITM-200N water-cooled small modular reactors derived from nuclear-powered icebreaker technology, with the first 55 MW unit originally scheduled to achieve criticality by the end of 2029 and gradually commence operation. Subsequently, in 2025, the two sides signed a supplementary agreement making major adjustments to the plan, changing it to the construction of two gigawatt-class VVER-1000 large units and two small modular reactors, thereby substantially increasing the planned total installed capacity of the nuclear power project from the initial 330 MW to more than 2,100 MW.