Under a revised agreement with Russia, signed during the World Atomic Week in Moscow, Uzbekistan plans to construct two large VVER-1000 reactors alongside two small modular RITM-200N plants. Plans for the project were first mentioned in September by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov during a reception at the Uzbekistan Embassy in Moscow marking the Uzbekistan’s Independence Day.
The initial framework for the project was established in 2018 and updated in 2024. Uzbekistan and Russia signed an intergovernmental agreement on the NPP construction in 2018. The agreement covered the full cycle – from design and construction to operation and eventual decommissioning – for a plant with two power units equipped with Russian VVER reactors, each with a capacity of up to 1,200 MWe.
In May 2024 the initial arrangements were revised, and it was decided to begin with a small-scale nuclear project. Amendments to the agreement preserved the plan for the large plant while simultaneously introducing a small modular reactor (SMR) plant in the Jizzakh region, featuring six of Rosatom’s 55 MWe RITM-200N water-cooled reactors. Preparatory work is already under way for the first two units. Atomstroyexport (Rosatom’s engineering division) was designated general contractor, with local companies also participating in the work.
The topic of the large plant was raised again in March, during talks between Rosatom and Uzatom, which included it on the agenda for joint discussions. In June, the two sides signed an agreement defining the terms for implementing the large NPP project in Uzbekistan. According to the agreement, construction is planned for two VVER-1000 units, each with a capacity of 1,000 MWe, with the possibility of expanding to four units in the future.
Uzbekistan plans to launch the large NPP by 2035, according to Uzatom Director Azim Akhmedkhadjaev. He said the first SMR unit is expected to begin operations in 2029 in the Jizzakh region, followed by a second unit six months later. The first reactor of the large-scale plant is expected to come online in 2033, followed by the second in 2035. He noted, however, that final timelines depend on the conclusion of contract agreements.
Akhmedkhadjaev added that production of SMR reactor equipment is already underway and that the project is proceeding on schedule. Earlier this year, Rosatom produced a 205-tonne ingot of special alloyed steel destined for the reactor vessel, marking a significant milestone and confirming that the project has moved beyond the design phase.
“In the very heart of Uzbekistan, in the Jizzah region, we are creating an unprecedented energy project.” said Akhmedkhadjaev. “By becoming pioneers in the development of Central Asia’s nuclear energy, we are not just building the first station in the region. we are the first to create an innovative solution for the future. Our project is a bold combination of advanced small modular reactor technologies and the time-tested solutions of traditional high-capacity nuclear power.”
Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom Director General, said the signing “marks a new stage in the development of relations between Rosatom and Uzbekistan … Uzbekistan will become the first country in the world to build an integrated nuclear power plant, where both a modern small-scale nuclear power plant and a large-scale nuclear power plant will be operated simultaneously on a single site”.
Uzbekistan said it aims to have completed the design for the SMR project by the end of this year so that the “main phase of its implementation can begin in 2026”. Preparatory works are already underway in the Jizzakh region and are expected to move into the excavation phase this autumn with first concrete expected in March 2026.
