Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — An international consortium will be created for the construction of a small nuclear power plant (NPP) in Uzbekistan, according to Azim Akhmedkhadzhaev, Director of the Atomic Energy Agency ("Uzatom").

In an interview with Uzbekistan 24, he noted that, according to expert forecasts, the share of nuclear energy in global electricity production is expected to rise from the current 9% to 25% by 2040.

In May last year, the Directorate for the Construction of Nuclear Power Plants under Uzatom and Atomstroyexport (the engineering division of Rosatom) signed a contract to build a 330 MW small nuclear power plant with six 55 MW reactors at Lake Tuzkan in the Jizzakh region. Rosatom will serve as the project’s general contractor, with Uzbek companies also involved in the construction.

Akhmedkhadzhaev emphasized that the President of Uzbekistan has stressed the need for the project to have an international character, involving various foreign entities. The project will incorporate not only Russian technologies but also non-nuclear developments from China, as well as European software and hardware solutions.

"Thus, we are creating an international consortium that will enable the project to be implemented as efficiently as possible using advanced technologies," he explained.

According to him, the project will also feature "unconventional approaches," such as using Hungarian or Chinese dry cooling towers to reduce water consumption at the plant.

The Uzatom head added that the Tashkent branch of the Russian National Research Nuclear University MEPhI has already graduated 117 specialists, who are now employed, undergoing further training, and will participate in the project’s implementation.

The construction of the small NPP is being monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). According to Akhmedkhadzhaev, IAEA specialists, together with Rosatom, ensure compliance with safety standards and regulations. Additionally, Uzatom has developed a separate cooperation program with the IAEA focused on workforce training and nuclear safety in the country.

The Uzatom director also revealed that, following instructions from the country’s leadership, alternative approaches for implementing similar projects in Uzbekistan will be explored.

"The scale of reforms led by our esteemed President requires significant energy resources. We firmly believe that nuclear energy is one of the key sources capable of supporting the large-scale development of our economy and the electrification of industry," Akhmedkhadzhaev stated.

In October last year, Otabek Amanov, head of the NPP Construction Directorate, announced that the small nuclear power plant would be fully owned by Uzbekistan. The country plans to use domestic uranium for nuclear fuel production, while spent fuel will be transported to Russia.