Thanks to a recent agreement with Russia, a six-unit SMR nuclear power plant will be built in Uzbekistan and will begin construction this summer. The contract was signed during President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Uzbekistan.
The project includes a site with a total capacity of 330 MW, consisting of six reactors of 55 MW each, and Rosatom will be in charge of leading the project together with the participation of local companies.
SMR nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan to double energy resources
Azim Akhmedkhadjaev, head of Uzbekistan’s nuclear development agency, Uzatom, stated that the demand for energy resources in Uzbekistan is expected to double by 2050. To ensure a stable energy system and promote economic development, the country needs a base energy source in addition to renewables.
Akhmedkhadjaev underscored the growing global interest in new nuclear projects, both large capacity and small modular reactors. small modular reactors He stressed that the collaboration with Rosatom will strengthen the Uzbek energy sector with advanced nuclear power technologies. nuclear power .
About Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
Currently, there are more than 80 different small modular reactor (SMR) designs under development. These reactors are generally defined as nuclear power units with a capacity of up to 300 MWe and employ modular technology, which facilitates mass production and shortens construction times.
The designated site has passed a series of approvals required to ensure its suitability and safety, which will significantly reduce project implementation times, according to Rosatom.
Alexei Likhachev, CEO of Rosatom, said the company has consolidated its global leadership in nuclear power by signing its first export contract for the construction of a small nuclear power plant.“This is not just a preliminary agreement; we will start construction this summer,” Likhachev noted.
RITM-200N at the first nuclear power plant in Central Asia
The Uzbekistan project is based on the RITM-200N water-cooled reactor, an adaptation of nuclear-powered icebreaker technology, with a thermal output of 190 MW or 55 MWe and an expected lifetime of 60 years.
The first land-based version of this reactor is being built in Yakut, Russia and the first unit is expected to be operational in 2027. Rosatom stresses that the combination of active and passive safety systems will ensure the highest level of safety for nuclear SMR plants.
It is important to recall that in 2017, Uzbekistan signed an agreement with Russia to build two VVER-1200 pressurized water reactors. Following the recent agreement on the nuclear SMR plant, Rosatom’s Likhachev mentioned in an interview with Rossiya-1 TV channel that there are still proposals to build a large nuclear power plant with a capacity of approximately 2.5 GW in Uzbekistan.
Interest in small modular reactors is not limited to Uzbekistan and Russia. Several countries around the world are exploring this technology as an efficient and secure solution for their energy needs, seeking to to reduce carbon emissions emissions and improve energy independence.
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Source: worldnuclearnews
Photo: rosatom
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