In March 2024, "Uzatom" and "Rosatom" signed two additional agreements regarding the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. On the same day, work began on the foundation for the nuclear energy unit at the site in the Farish district of the Jizzakh region.
Previously, information about the financial aspects of the project remained virtually unavailable. Open sources did not publish data on the project documentation, the total cost of the plants, the cost of electricity production, and the prices for its future purchase.
In this context of uncertainty, Likhachev indicated that the small nuclear power plant project in Uzbekistan could bring the Russian industry up to 2 trillion rubles (approximately $24.7 billion) in orders.
“We have many partners among both private and state companies in Russia. The creation of a small unit will ensure an order volume of up to 2 trillion rubles, which will lead to the creation of about a thousand new jobs in the Russian Federation. From a macroeconomic perspective, a return on investment of up to one and a half rubles for every ruble invested in construction is expected, and up to two rubles at the operational stage of the nuclear power plant,” noted Alexey Likhachev.
At the same time, last year, the director of "Uzatom," Azim Akhmedkhadzhayev, claimed that the costs for constructing the small nuclear power plant would not exceed $2 billion. However, without a clear structure of expenses, the composition of contracts, and financing details, it is impossible to compare these figures.
The cooperation agreement in the field of nuclear energy between Uzbekistan and Russia, including the project for the first Uzbek nuclear power plant, was signed in December 2017. At that time, it was planned that the first power unit, costing $11 billion, would be launched in 2028 and would consist of two units with a capacity of 1200 MW each.
Subsequently, a decision was made to construct a small-capacity nuclear power plant, which will initiate the project. A new contract with "Rosatom" for the design, supply, and construction of the small nuclear power plant was signed on May 27, 2024, in Tashkent during the state visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The plant will be located near Lake Tuzkan in the Farish district of the Jizzakh region.
According to the latest agreements, two small power units with RITM-200N reactors, each with a capacity of 55 MW, will be built at the site in the Farish district, as well as two large units with VVER-1000 reactors.
The total capacity of the integrated nuclear complex will be 2.1 GW. It is expected that by 2035, the plant, located on an area of about 525 hectares, will be able to produce 15.2 billion kWh of electricity per year. As previously stated by Uzbekistan's Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khojaev, this will account for approximately 15% of the current total electricity consumption in the country.
Likhachev emphasized the uniqueness of the project, highlighting that the combination of large and small capacities at one site has no analogs in the world: “Our Uzbek project will become a global showcase.”
