Uzbekistan has proposed creating a joint engineering venture with a foreign partner to provide independent technical oversight of its first nuclear power plant. The venture would review the plant’s design and equipment and monitor construction quality at the site in the Jizzakh region.
Uzbekistan’s Atomic Energy Agency (Uzatom) set out the proposal in a September 4 report. The agency has not named potential foreign participants or said when the venture could be established.
Construction formally began on June 4 with the first concrete pour for the plant’s first small modular reactor unit. Foundation work is now underway.
The project calls for two VVER-1000 reactors and two small modular RITM-200N reactors at a single site. Uzbekistan describes this configuration as an integrated nuclear power plant.
Uzatom says design work and construction of external utility networks will continue through the end of 2026. In 2027, authorities plan to order major equipment with lengthy manufacturing lead times.
From June 22 to 26, the International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a Phase 2 Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review follow-up mission in Uzbekistan. The IAEA said Uzbekistan had made “significant progress” since its 2021 review, while identifying further work needed to improve the nuclear regulator and complete feasibility studies. The final mission report is expected to be published by the agency.
Uzatom says the project’s environmental impact assessment has been approved and the necessary permits and licenses have been obtained for the siting and construction of the small modular units. Licensing for the larger VVER reactors is due to continue in 2027.
More than 30 companies in Uzbekistan are being considered to supply cables and construction materials for the plant. Uzatom estimates that locally produced goods could account for around 21%, while authorities intend to raise the share above 30%.
A specialized 200-hectare industrial zone has been proposed in the Forish district, around 25 kilometers from the nuclear power plant. It could support production in 15 sectors and create up to 2,000 jobs.
Domestic firms are also expected to handle much of the work on the site’s utility and transport connections. A new town planned nearby would eventually house up to 33,000 people.
At the peak of construction, the project will require more than 10,000 workers and specialists. Authorities plan for local personnel to account for 65%–70% of the workforce.
Since 2023, 216 students have graduated from the Tashkent branch of Russia’s National Research Nuclear University MEPhI. Of these, 83 are continuing their studies at universities in China, Hungary, France, Italy, and South Korea. Four universities in Uzbekistan are training around 100 more specialists.
Uzatom also plans to use the proposed engineering venture to transfer technical and project-management expertise to local specialists.
