Uzbekistan targets 2029 for commissioning of first nuclear reactor

The year of 2029 is the target year for Uzbekistan’s commissioning of the first of six 55-megawatt small modular reactors (SMRs) to be built by Russia’s Rosatom, according to a report citing atomic energy officials published by Spot.

The reactors will form the country’s first nuclear power plant (NPP). It will be located near Tuzkon Lake in Farish District, Jizzakh Region.

Asked about the cost of the project, Uzbekistan’s Atomic Energy Agency told the media outlet that it “is confidential information and will not be disclosed”.

The construction of the first reactor is slated to be completed 60 months after the start of works, set to begin this summer. 

There is a plan to commission a reactor every six months after the first goes live, meaning full commissioning of the NPP is anticipated for a date before 2033.

An agreement for the NPP was signed on May 27 during a visit paid to Tashkent by Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

The agreement was signed by the Directorate for NPP Construction, under Uzbekistan's Atomic Energy Agency, and Atomstroyexport, a joint stock company that serves as the engineering division of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom.