Serbian President Says China to Participate in Uzbekistan's Second Nuclear Power Plant Project

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated on September 8 at the Uzbekistan-Serbia Business Forum held in Belgrade that China will participate in Uzbekistan's second nuclear power plant project. He noted that this information came from a private conversation with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev earlier that morning.

Vučić relayed that Mirziyoyev briefed him on two nuclear energy projects in Uzbekistan, one of which is being implemented in cooperation with Russia, while the other is planned to advance in partnership with China. Quoting Mirziyoyev, Vučić said: "One nuclear power plant is being built in cooperation with the Russians, and another nuclear power plant is being built in cooperation with the Chinese."

This marks the first time the public has learned that China may become a partner in Uzbekistan's second nuclear power plant project. Previously, Uzbek authorities had confirmed preparations for the construction of a second nuclear power plant but had not disclosed the partner country or specific participants.

Vučić linked Uzbekistan's push for nuclear power projects to future electricity demand growth. He stated that Mirziyoyev is assessing the country's electricity needs in advance, taking into account factors such as data centers, artificial intelligence, innovative industries, and the development of electric vehicles. Vučić also expressed the view that European countries need to increase their power generation capacity ahead of time to meet growing electricity consumption.

Currently, official parameters for Uzbekistan's second nuclear power project have not been announced, with no public information available on site selection, installed capacity, reactor type, construction timeline, or total investment. On August 17, Mirziyoyev stated during a visit to Khorezm Region that "major preparatory work" was underway for the construction of the second nuclear power plant, but he did not identify the partner at that time.

Uzbekistan's first nuclear power project, located in the Farish District of Jizzakh Region, is being advanced in cooperation with Russia. The project plans to build two VVER-1000 pressurized water reactor units with a single-unit capacity of 1 GW each, as well as two RITM-200N small modular reactors with a single-unit capacity of 55 MW each.

Under the current plan, the first small reactor is expected to undergo technical testing in October-November 2029, with the second small reactor to be tested approximately six months later. The first large unit is scheduled to begin commercial operation in 2033, and the entire nuclear power plant is expected to be completed between 2034 and 2035.

The planned total installed capacity of Uzbekistan's first nuclear power plant is 2,110 MW, with an estimated annual power generation of up to 17 billion kWh, and a baseline project cost estimated at no more than $9.5 billion. As for the specific arrangements regarding China's participation in the second nuclear power project, including the names of participating institutions, technical routes, capacity configuration, and project costs, no official announcements have yet been made.