en.Wedoany.com Reported - On June 4, the foundation laying ceremony for the first unit of Uzbekistan's integrated nuclear power plant was held in the Farish District of Jizzakh Region, with the official pouring of first concrete. The ceremony was held simultaneously via video link between the construction site and St. Petersburg, where Russian President Vladimir Putin and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved the project. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi attended and delivered a speech.
According to IAEA standards, the pouring of first concrete marks the official recognition of the facility as a "nuclear power plant under construction." On the same day, the Uzbek Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety issued a construction license to the general contractor "Nuclear Power Plant Construction Directorate" for the unit, which will use a Russian-made RITM-200N nuclear power unit. The committee stated that project documents, technical solutions, and safety justification materials have been reviewed in accordance with national regulations and IAEA requirements, with foreign experts, including Russian specialists, participating in the assessment. The committee issued a license for the use of the nuclear facility site on March 23 and will conduct state supervision throughout the construction process.
The project is being built by Rosatom, Russia's state atomic energy corporation, and is a unique project implemented under the world's first export contract for a small nuclear power plant. In May 2024, the two sides signed an intergovernmental protocol to expand cooperation. In September 2025, during World Atomic Energy Week, further cooperation documents were signed. In March 2026, a supplementary agreement was signed, specifying the construction of an integrated nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, including two large-capacity units based on VVER-1000 reactors and two 55 MW small modular units based on RITM-200N reactors. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to generate 17.2 billion kWh of electricity annually.
Petrov, First Deputy General Director for Nuclear Energy at Rosatom, stated that after commissioning, the nuclear power plant will meet up to 14% of Uzbekistan's energy demand. The accompanying nuclear city project will create a science and technology city showcasing cutting-edge nuclear energy technology.
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