President Shavkat Mirziyoyev publicly announced for the first time “extensive preparations” for the second nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. He stated that energy development is necessary to ensure investors a guaranteed electricity supply and reduce energy costs. The first nuclear power plant is being built in the Jizzakh region.
Uzbekistan is undertaking “extensive preparations” for its second nuclear power plant project. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced this on August 17 at a ceremony to launch new investment projects in the Khorezm region.
Over the past nine years, the region has attracted $7.5 billion in investment, and 9,700 new facilities have been commissioned. On this day, the president launched 12 projects worth $176 million and another 15 facilities worth $7.424 billion. Their implementation is expected to create 6,600 jobs.
Speaking about major energy and infrastructure projects, Shavkat Mirziyoyev mentioned the nuclear power plant under construction in the Jizzakh region.
“In the year of our homeland’s 35th anniversary, you can see for yourself the reforms we’re implementing and the projects we’re realizing. Could we ever have imagined that there would be a nuclear power plant in Jizzakh?” he said.
The president then announced the preparations for another nuclear power plant project: “Today I want to tell you a secret: we are making major preparations for a second station in the near future.”
The proposed location for the second nuclear power plant, its capacity, and the project implementation timeframe have not yet been disclosed.
Mirziyoyev linked the implementation of energy projects to the need to provide investors with a stable electricity supply and clear operating conditions.
“Why do investors come here? What’s their first question? ‘I’ll bring my investments, but what will the price of electricity be? What guarantees will there be?’ So, if we don’t implement our 2030 strategy, don’t ensure a guaranteed electricity supply, and don’t take measures to reduce costs, who will come to us? No one, ever,” the head of state declared.
As a reminder, the technical launch of the first small modular reactor at the future nuclear power plant in the Farish district of the Jizzakh region is scheduled for October-November 2029, with the second one following six months later. The first large power unit is expected to be launched in 2033, with the project fully completed in 2034-2035. The plant’s total capacity will be 2,110 MW, with expected annual output of up to 17 billion kWh.
The nuclear power plant’s configuration calls for four power units on a single site: two VVER-1000 reactors with a capacity of 1 GW each and two RITM-200N small modular reactors with a capacity of 55 MW each. The base cost of the project is estimated at no more than $9.5 billion. The majority of the funding is planned to come from loans, including a preferential export loan from Russia.
Rosatom will also assume responsibility for nuclear fuel supplies, plant maintenance, and spent nuclear material management. Uzatom emphasized that construction is being carried out in compliance with international safety requirements and IAEA missions, and that after the first project is completed, Uzbekistan intends to continue developing its nuclear energy sector.
Google machine translated