The key facts

  • On October 23, Alexey Likhachev stated that Rosatom is ready to participate in new nuclear projects in Uzbekistan, but the choice of partners remains with the Uzbek side.
  • In 2027, the first contracts with specialists for servicing the small nuclear power plant are planned to be signed, and operators will begin obtaining personal licenses.
  • On August 17, the president announced preparations for a second nuclear power plant without naming a partner; according to Aleksandar Vucic, Mirziyoyev spoke about building the second plant with China.

Rosatom declared its readiness for new projects

The Russian state corporation Rosatom is ready to participate in the implementation of new nuclear energy projects in Uzbekistan. This was announced to journalists on October 23 by the company's director general Alexey Likhachev. According to him, Uzbekistan will not limit itself to building four power units of the first nuclear power plant in the Jizzakh region: Likhachev 'warmly welcomed' plans for the further development of the industry and expressed readiness to 'take an active part in satisfying this growing nuclear appetite.' At the same time, as Spot.uz notes, the choice of partners for new projects remains with the Uzbek side.

Competition and serial production

'We are not afraid of competition in any way. But, on the other hand, of course, we will also be offering our own services,' said the head of Rosatom. He explained that serial production of technologies increases their competitiveness and quality, and also makes it possible to reduce the cost of the electricity generated.

Small nuclear power plant: contracts and licenses in 2027

Likhachev also reported that in 2027 the first contracts are planned to be signed with specialists for servicing the small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. At the same time, operators will begin obtaining personal licenses. 'I am confident that Uzbekistan will not stop at the current modalities, at the current four power units,' he concluded.

Context: the second nuclear power plant and partners

On August 17, the president of Uzbekistan had already announced the start of preparations for a second nuclear power plant, without disclosing the partner country. In September, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that, according to Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the second plant is planned to be built jointly with China. Uzbekistan began implementing its first nuclear power plant with Russia. According to Vucic, Mirziyoyev also emphasized that even the implementation of two nuclear projects will not fully cover the country's future electricity needs amid growing demand from data centers, AI projects, and electric vehicles.

Financing of the first plant

Earlier, Spot wrote that an international institute is participating in the financing of the first nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. Likhachev's statements came amid uncertainty over the partner for the second plant: the partner country has not been officially named, and the information about cooperation with China is known only from the words of the Serbian leader, who is recounting a conversation with Mirziyoyev. For readers, this means that Rosatom has publicly stated its ambitions for new projects, but the decision on choosing contractors still rests with Tashkent.

Why this matters

Rosatom's statements concern the energy supply plans of the entire country: according to Mirziyoyev's words as retold by Vucic, even two nuclear projects will not cover the growing demand for electricity from data centers, AI projects, and electric vehicles. In practical terms, this means that as early as 2027 the staffing framework for the small nuclear power plant will begin to take shape — the first contracts with maintenance specialists and operators obtaining personal licenses, while the Uzbek side will have to determine partners for the new plants.