Rosatom CEO: Uzbek nuclear project to serve as model for intl projects

The experience of building both large- and small-capacity nuclear reactors at a single site in Uzbekistan is expected to serve as a model for similar projects in other countries, according to Alexey Likhachev, chief executive of Rosatom.

Likhachev said the project represents a unique approach in global nuclear construction and could be replicated internationally.

Speaking to Russian media, Likhachev said he had discussed the Uzbek nuclear project with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, who attended ceremonies marking the start of construction.

He said Grossi’s presence at the site underscored the significance of the project for the global nuclear community as well as for Uzbekistan.

Likhachev described the scheme as the first instance of constructing both large- and small-capacity reactor units on a single site, adding that it reflected a pioneering approach developed jointly with Uzbek partners.

The initiative was presented as a “first-of-its-kind” model that could be adopted in other countries in the future.

Earlier, presidents of Uzbekistan and Russia — Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Vladimir Putin — launched construction of the first power unit of an integrated nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan.

The planned small-scale nuclear power plant in the Jizzakh region is expected to generate contracts for Russian companies worth up to 2 trillion roubles ($24.7 billion), according to project estimates.

By Aghakazim Guliyev