Uzatom to Study American Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Technologies

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Agency for Atomic Energy of Uzbekistan (Uzatom) plans to study small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) technologies used in the United States.

According to the agency’s press service, specialists intend to conduct a detailed analysis of these technologies and assess the feasibility of their implementation in the country.

The agency reported that during President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s visit to the United States from 4–6 November, Uzbekistan confirmed its interest in certified projects from Holtec, GE Hitachi, and NuScale. As part of the cooperation, staff training and joint educational workshops are also planned.

Uzatom Director Azim Akhmedkhodzhayev emphasized that this stage is preparatory: “Once reference models of American SMRs become available, Uzatom specialists will conduct a detailed analysis and evaluate their applicability in Uzbekistan. This will help ensure stable energy supply in light of the projected growth in electricity consumption by 2050.”

He noted that Uzbekistan follows a multi-vector energy policy. “We are constructing a small nuclear power plant in cooperation with Russia based on the RITM-200N, considering large VVER-1000 reactors, cooperating with China on SMRs and uranium processing. Studying American technologies is a natural step in our diversification strategy to select the most reliable and cost-effective solutions for the country’s growing economy,” the Uzatom director added.

Earlier, the U.S. State Department reported Uzbekistan’s intention to explore the purchase of American nuclear reactors following the C5+1 summit held on November 6–7 in Washington, attended by the presidents of Central Asian countries and then-U.S. President Donald Trump.

During the summit, several agreements were signed, and according to Trump, Uzbekistan plans to invest nearly US$35 billion in the U.S. economy over three years through purchases and investments.

C5+1 is a mechanism for collective engagement between the United States and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, in operation since 2015.