Strategy for creating nuclear energy in Uzbekistan defined

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Tashkent hosted a meeting of Minister of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan Alisher Sultanov with members of the delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The delegation is in Uzbekistan within the framework of the IAEA seminar with the participation of specialists from the Uzatom Agency and other organizations involved in the project to build the first nuclear power plant in the country.

The creation of the field of nuclear energy entails the accelerated development of not only energy, but also other areas, including science, and training. Opportunities in agriculture, medicine, construction and technology are increasing. As international experience shows, the development of this industry for the country is becoming a catalyst for the development of many areas in the country’s economy.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Director of the IAEA Nuclear Installations Safety Department, Greg Zhentkowski, thanked for the meeting. “We understand that the development of nuclear energy is a project that requires large resources, including investment. The work on the construction of nuclear power plants is difficult and it is gratifying that you want to complete it in a short time. For our part, we offer you full support, which will allow your project to comply with all security guarantees,” Zentkovski said.

“It is very important that Uzbekistan undertakes to follow the standards of the IAEA. We, in turn, will do everything in our power to disseminate these standards in your country. We want your project to be effective and safe,” Zentkovski noted. He also stressed that during the visit to Uzbekistan, members of the IAEA delegation were convinced that there is a clear understanding in the country that safety is a priority in the framework of the project for the construction of nuclear power plants.

During the meeting, there was a discussion of issues, including environmental aspects when choosing a site for nuclear power plants, the IAEA approach in developing infrastructure for a nuclear power plant, the licensing process in accordance with the IAEA safety standards, the organization’s approaches to environmental impact assessment new atomic energy programs.

At the meeting, the participants paid special attention to the training of local personnel. Currently, 58 students from Uzbekistan are educated at the National Engineering Nuclear University "Moscow Engineering Physics Institute". A branch of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI is being established in Tashkent, where personnel for the nuclear power industry of Uzbekistan will be purposefully trained.

In 2019, the 25th anniversary of cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the International Atomic Energy Agency is celebrated, the partnership of which entered a qualitatively new stage of development in connection with the launch of the project to build the first nuclear power plant.