Uzbekistan’s atomic energy agency Uzatom has established a partnership with Japanese company Muroosystems Corporation for a project to create a data centre fully powered by small modular reactors (SMR).
According to Uzatom, the project opens up opportunities for the development of sustainable digital solutions, increasing the reliability of energy supply and introducing innovative models for the use of nuclear energy. The implementation of the initiative demonstrates the potential of small reactors as an efficient and stable source of electricity for highly loaded technological facilities.
Through its German subsidiary Nukem Technologies, Muroosystems is providing technical consulting, nuclear safety assessments, and Owner’s Engineer services to ensure alignment with IAEA international standards. The cooperation also extends to the management of used nuclear fuel and radioactive waste, leveraging Nukem’s expertise in decommissioning.
The collaboration resulted from the Japan-Central Asia “5+1” Summit (C5+1) which took place in Washington in November. The C5+1 is a high-level dialogue and cooperation format involving Japan and the five Central Asian nations – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The Uzatom-Muroosystems collaboration includes broader energy goals across the region, such as similar technical consulting roles in Kazakhstan.
Uzbekistan plans to begin construction of its first integrated nuclear power plant in 2026, with Muroosystems focusing on the innovative SMR-digital infrastructure model.
The data centre is part of Uzbekistan’s broader nuclear development strategy, centred in the Jizzakh region in central Uzbekistan. The integrated nuclear facility, being constructed with the assistance of Rosatom, will feature two large and two small reactors, and work is actively underway on excavating foundations for the reactor buildings.
The primary technology being deployed at the Jizzakh site is Russia’s 55 MWe RITM-200N low-powered reactor. The data centre and SMR are intended to function as a single system, providing 24/7 stable baseload power for high-load AI and cloud computing, independent of fluctuations in the national grid. First concrete for the first small reactor unit is scheduled to be poured in March for commissioning in 2029.
Muroosystems acquired Germany’s NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services (formerly part of Rosatom) in 2024.
