Uzbekistan plans second nuclear power station before first opens

Uzbekistan is preparing a second nuclear power station before its first has generated any electricity, signalling a shift from one flagship project to a wider reactor programme. The government would not be drawn on whether the proposed station would occupy another site, extend the Jizzakh facility or use Russian technology.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev disclosed «large-scale preparations» for a second station during an investment ceremony in Khorezm Region earlier this week. It was his first public confirmation of the project, but he provided no location, capacity, cost or delivery date.

«Let me share a little secret with you today: we will soon begin extensive preparations for a second nuclear power plant,» he told the audience.  

Mirziyoyev tied the nuclear expansion directly to Uzbekistan’s industrial pitch. He argued that investors want to know what electricity will cost and whether supplies can be guaranteed. In June, he said national power demand could double over the coming decade.

That makes the announcement more than another addition to the generation pipeline. Tashkent is positioning round-the-clock nuclear power as infrastructure for factories, data centres and other investment-heavy industries, alongside its rapid expansion of solar and wind capacity.

A second site in Jizzakh?

Uzbekistan began construction of its first nuclear complex in the Jizzakh Region earlier this year. The Rosatom-designed facility will combine two large VVER-1000 reactors with two 55 MW small modular units, giving it a total capacity of 2.11 GW. The first small-size reactor is expected to become operational around 2029, while the entire project is scheduled for completion in 2034–2035.

Its base cost has been estimated at $9.5bn, with loans expected to provide most of the financing. The plant could eventually cover about 15% of Uzbekistan’s electricity demand, Reuters reported.

Read more: Uzbekistan’s first nuclear plant set to become global blueprint – Rosatom chief

However, a second site is not the only possible interpretation of Mirziyoyev’s announcement. Uzatom director Azim Akhmedkhadjaev said in June that the existing Farish site had already undergone extensive study and could accommodate two more large reactors.