Construction of a nuclear power plant has begun in Uzbekistan, 55 km from the border with Kazakhstan, near Tuzkon Lake in the Jizzakh region. The main contractor for this project is Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy company. Uzbek companies are also participating. More than three million residents of Turkestan and Shymkent live near the planned site of the nuclear power plant.
“The Russian reactor RITM-200N will be used at the new power plant,” the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan stated. “The reactor, an adaptation of marine technology for land-based use, has a thermal output of 190 MW and an electrical output of 55 MW with a lifespan of up to 60 years. RITM-200 reactors are used on Russian icebreakers. Reactor safety is ensured by multi-level protection systems that prevent accidents.”
Uzbekistan and Russia have been holding discussions on the NPP project since 2017. In 2019, a site near Tuzkon Lake was chosen for its development. In addition to a large nuclear power plant, there are plans to build small modular reactors with a total capacity of 330 MW.
