Uzbek Energy Minister: Our goal is to build a large NPP in the future

According to Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov, small capacity NPPs will be built in the republic with Rosatom's participation first.

TASHKENT, October 7 - Sputnik. Uzbekistan will build a large nuclear power plant (NPP) in the future, but first, with the participation of Rosatom, a small capacity NPP will be built, which is necessary for the training of specialists in the industry. This was stated by the head of the Ministry of Energy of the republic Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov in the video podcast “Lolazor”, answering the question of journalists about the prospects of building a large nuclear power plant.

“The basic generation is thermal power plants and hydroelectric power plants. Our goal is to build a large nuclear power plant in the future,” he said.

Mirzamakhmudov believes that it is necessary to develop nuclear power in the country from small capacities: this will allow training specialists of the sphere.

“Why do we want to start with a small reactor first? We need to train specialists for small reactors, but we will still need a large reactor. We are aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and we cannot achieve this without nuclear power plants. The U.S. has revised its program. America has the most reactors in the world, Europe, Korea, Japan have also restarted their programs. The whole world is moving in this direction,” the Minister explained.

Recall that in September 2018, Uzbekistan and Russia signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the construction of NPPs in the country. In accordance with it, Rosatom State Corporation plans to build a nuclear power plant with two power units of generation “3+” with VVER-1200 reactor units. The site near Lake Tuzkan in Jizzak Oblast was chosen as a priority location for the construction of the plant.

In May, an export contract for the construction of a small-capacity NPP was signed in Tashkent. It provides for the construction of a Russian-designed nuclear power plant with a capacity of 330 MW (six RITM-200N reactors with a capacity of 55 MW each) in the Jizzak region of Uzbekistan. Rosatom is the general contractor for the construction of the plant, and local companies are also planned to be involved in the project.

Reprinted from https://uz.sputniknews.ru/