Energy of the Future: Nuclear Projects in Central Asia Discussed in Tashkent

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A Moscow–Tashkent–Astana video conference titled “Prospects for the Development of Nuclear Energy in Central Asia” was held at the Sputnik multimedia press center.

Participants discussed the key outcomes of the international World Atomic Week forum, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Russia’s nuclear industry, as well as the current state and future directions of nuclear energy development across the region.

Yegor Kvyatkovsky, First Deputy Director General for Marketing and Business Development at Rosatom International Network, emphasized that the Russian state corporation is actively developing cooperation with Central Asian countries not only in nuclear technology but also in related sectors of the economy.

Otabek Amanov, Deputy Director of the Directorate for Nuclear Power Plant Construction under the Uzatom Agency, spoke about the progress of Uzbekistan’s first nuclear power plant project.

According to him, Uzbek specialists will undergo a two-year internship in Russia to gain practical experience working at modern nuclear facilities and apply this knowledge during the operation of the future plant.

Particular attention during the discussion was given to issues of environmental and technological safety. Baurzhan Ibrayev, Chairman of the Council of Veterans of Atomic Science, Energy, and Industry at the Nuclear Society of Kazakhstan, highlighted Rosatom’s high level of expertise in the management of highly radioactive waste.

“Last week, a new vitrification facility was launched — a major step forward in ensuring the safety of nuclear energy,” the expert noted.

He also stressed that for Central Asian countries developing their own nuclear programs, it is important to closely follow the technologies and standards offered by the Russian state corporation.

It should be recalled that at the end of September, during the World Atomic Week forum in Moscow, Rosatom and the Government of Uzbekistan signed an additional agreement outlining the main conditions for the implementation of the project to build an integrated nuclear power plant in the republic.

The document provides for a new plant configuration that will include two high-capacity power units based on Generation 3+ VVER-1000 reactors, as well as two RITM-200N reactors with a capacity of 55 MW each.

The construction of the entire power plant is expected to be completed by 2035.