It is crucial to assess the impact of the NPP to be built in Jizzakh on the operation of the energy system — Kazakhstan

The format, platform, and operation of the unified energy system for the proposed nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan must be clarified. Kazakhstan's Minister of Energy, Almasadam Satkaliev, discussed this at a government briefing.

"We were unaware of this project until it was announced on May 27. We now need to reach out to our Uzbek counterparts to determine its implementation format, the platform, and its impact on the unified energy system. Energy and security concerns are also critical. We will initiate communication soon," said Satkaliev.

Additionally, the minister quoted an excerpt from Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's speech following his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Almost all leading countries worldwide ensure their energy security and sustainable development through nuclear energy. Considering Uzbekistan's prospects of entering a new development phase, this project is essential for a country with significant uranium reserves that exports to other nations," he noted. 

For context, last year, Kazakh President Qosim-Jomart Toqayev proposed a national referendum on constructing a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan. He believes this decision is justified given the repercussions of nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk test site, where 396 people in the nearby village of Kaynar died from cancer during the tests.

As a reminder, on May 27, during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Tashkent, Russian and Uzbek delegations signed documents for the construction of a Russian-designed nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev announced that the construction of a low-power nuclear power plant will start in Jizzakh this summer.