Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan plans to use Russia’s experience in nuclear and radiation safety in developing its national regulatory system for nuclear energy, according to the press service of Uzbekistan’s Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety.
Committee Chairman Abduvakkos Rafikov and Rostekhnadzor head Alexander Trembitsky discussed the introduction of modern safety mechanisms during the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna.
Russia has mechanisms for radiation monitoring, safety assessments of nuclear and radiation facilities, emergency preparedness and oversight of compliance with safety requirements. Studying these approaches is of interest to Uzbekistan as it develops its national nuclear energy infrastructure.
The cooperation provides for advanced training of specialists in the nuclear sector, joint training events and seminars involving experts, as well as improvements to state oversight and inspection mechanisms. Attention will also be given to applying safety requirements at all stages of the construction and operation of nuclear power plants.
In May 2024, the first export contract in the history of nuclear energy for the construction of a small-capacity nuclear power plant was signed in Tashkent. The plant is to be built in the Jizzakh region, with Rosatom serving as the project’s general contractor and local companies also involved in construction.
In September 2025, Rosatom and the Uzbek authorities signed an additional agreement on the main conditions for implementing an integrated nuclear power plant project. It provides for the construction of two large-capacity power units based on Generation III+ VVER-1000 reactors and two power units with small RITM-200N reactors, each with a capacity of 55 MW.
In early June, the first concrete was poured for a small reactor at the nuclear power plant site, marking the start of construction of the facility. The project’s base cost is estimated at US$9.5 billion, while completion of the entire plant is planned for 2035.
