The key facts
- On 23 October, Alexey Likhachyov said that an international financial institution is participating in the financing of the nuclear power plant, and met with Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
- By the end of 2026, the foundation slab of the reactor building of the first power unit is planned to be completed — about 10,000 cubic metres of concrete will be required.
- In September 2025, Uzatom reported that the BRICS New Development Bank and Middle Eastern institutions were being considered; Uzbekistan joined the bank in May.
Likhachyov's statement and the meeting with the president
On 23 October, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachyov told journalists that the financing of the construction of Uzbekistan's first integrated nuclear power plant involves not only the customer and the technology supplier, but also an international financial institution. According to Spot.uz, he did not disclose the name of the institution. The same day, Likhachyov met with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev: the parties discussed the progress of the nuclear power plant construction in the Jizzakh region, the development of related infrastructure, and personnel training.
Construction progress
According to Rosatom, by the end of 2026 the foundation slab of the reactor building of the first power unit is planned to be completed at the site, which will require about 10,000 cubic metres of concrete. Likhachyov noted that the meeting took place against the backdrop of construction already under way on all four power units: two high-capacity VVER-1000 units and two low-capacity RITM-200N reactors are being built simultaneously. 'Nowhere else on the planet are two gigawatt-class units and two low-capacity reactors being built at the same time,' he said, adding that this configuration gives the plant economic sense and greater flexibility compared with conventional solutions.
The atomgrad and related technologies
The head of Rosatom also spoke about the social component of the project. According to him, the construction of the atomgrad is running ahead of the plant's construction schedule: first the builders will live there, and later the plant's operating staff. He called the atomgrad a 'centre of development', where a high level of medical services and education is planned. A technopark is located nearby, and Rosatom, according to Likhachyov, intends to bring to Uzbekistan not only nuclear but also related technologies.
Financing context
The possible involvement of external financiers had been discussed before: in September 2025 Uzatom agency director Azim Akhmedkhadzhayev said that international financial organisations were considering participation in financing the project. Among them, the New Development Bank of BRICS, which Uzbekistan joined in May, and institutions from the Middle East were mentioned; the use of Russian content was also considered possible. Which of these institutions has actually joined the project is not specified in the new publications — this remains unknown.
Why it matters
Confirmation of an international financial institution's participation means that one of Uzbekistan's largest energy projects is no longer dependent solely on a two-party 'customer — supplier' scheme, which directly affects the sustainability of its financing. For residents of the Jizzakh region, the project is already changing the agenda: an atomgrad with a technopark and plans for medicine and education is being built next to the plant. The nearest practical milestone is the completion of the foundation slab pouring for the first power unit by the end of 2026.
