Construction of a nuclear power plant begins in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan has started building a nuclear power plant 55 km from its border with Kazakhstan, near Lake Tuzkon in the Jizzakh region, according to "Orda.kz."

The construction site is situated 55 km from Kazakhstan's border. The Kazakh Ministry of Energy has assured the public that no radioactive materials will leak from the plant. The project is primarily managed by "Rosatom," with the involvement of Uzbek companies.

“The plant will use the Russian RITM-200N reactor, which is a land-based adaptation of marine technology. This reactor has a thermal power output of 190 MW, an electric power output of 55 MW, and a service life of up to 60 years. RITM-200 reactors are also employed in Russian nuclear power plants and feature multi-level protection systems to prevent accidents,” the report stated. 

Uzbekistan and Russia have been discussing this nuclear power plant project since 2017. In 2019, a site near Lake Tuzkon was selected. Alongside the large nuclear power plant, there are plans to construct small modular reactors with a total capacity of 330 MW.

Previously, Kazakhstan's Minister of Energy, Almasadam Satkaliyev, mentioned in a government briefing the need to determine the format, platform, and impact on the unified energy system of the nuclear power plant planned in Uzbekistan.