Russia, Uzbekistan discussing economic parameters of NPP construction - Deputy PM Novak

MOSCOW. June 19 (Interfax) - Russia and Uzbekistan are discussing economic parameters of building a nuclear power plant (NPP) in Uzbekistan, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

"Today, specific economic parameters are being discussed. Two units of 1000 MW each and two units of 55 MW each," Novak said.

Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev told journalists in April that the state corporation expected to pour concrete for a small NPP in Uzbekistan in a year or earlier. Rosatom "will already have prepared proposals not only for the design of these future facilities, but also for the financial scheme and organizational matters associated with maximum localization" by the time the country's leadership decides to build it, Likhachev said in reply to a question about the potential for building a large nuclear power plant in the country.

The project to build a small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan is Rosatom's first such export project abroad. The parties agreed on it in the spring of 2024, and in the fall, a protocol was signed on the start of work, which included design work and drawing up documentation.

The original project envisioned the construction of six reactors with a capacity of 55 MW each. Construction work was supposed to begin this summer, and the nuclear power plant is planned to be commissioned in stages in 2029-2033.