Rosatom's company signs contract to build low-capacity NPP in Uzbekistan

MOSCOW. May 27 (Interfax) - Atomstroyexport JSC has signed a contract with the Directorate for Nuclear Power Plant Construction state unitary enterprise under the Uzbek government's Atomic Energy Agency to build a low-capacity nuclear power plant in the country, Rosatom's media center said on Monday.

"The project includes the construction of a Russian-designed 330 MW low-capacity nuclear power plant (six reactors with a capacity of 55 MW each) in Uzbekistan's Jizzakh region. Rosatom will act as a general contractor for building the plant, local companies will also be involved in the construction," the statement said.

Construction is expected to begin this summer. "The selected site has already been examined, its suitability and safety has been confirmed, which will drastically cut the project's implementation timeframe," it said.

Additionally, "a protocol on amendments to the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation between the two countries in building a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, the essence of which is to expand cooperation for building a Russian-designed low-capacity nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan," was also signed, the state corporation said.

"The plant will be commissioned from 2029 to 2033 in stages, module by module. Well, this project will be implemented with a large share of localization here. The funding from the Uzbek side, the matter of a government [Russian] loan is not under discussion," Rosatom's head Alexei Likhachev said in a statement for Channel One.

Earlier on Monday, a resolution of the Russian government on details of the project was published. The document suggested envisaging cooperation on projects of "nuclear power plants comprising up to six power units each based on water-water energetic reactors of Russian project with a capacity of up to 55 megawatts each."

According to earlier reports, Rosatom plans to build two power units with VVER-1,200 reactors in Uzbekistan. In November 2023, Likhachev said work on the contract to build NPPs in Uzbekistan was in its final stage. Rosatom has conducted research at the site and made additional proposals on low capacity, he said.