Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has announced plans to build the country's second and third nuclear power plants.
According to Report, at a meeting with investors on Friday, Mirziyoyev emphasized that Uzbekistan attaches great importance to nuclear energy, particularly in view of growing uranium production and the experience accumulated in the sector.
"Tomorrow, we will hold talks with new partners and investors on the construction of the second nuclear power plant. That is why we are paying very close attention to nuclear energy. Our uranium production is growing significantly. We have made substantial investments in uranium mining and developed our capabilities and expertise. That is why we have begun construction of the first nuclear power plant. We also have plans for a second and a third," Mirziyoyev said.
The president did not specify the proposed locations, capacities, construction timelines or costs of the new nuclear power plants. It also remains unclear which investors are expected to take part in the talks on October 17.
Uzbekistan's first nuclear power plant is being built in the Farish district of the Jizzakh region. The project provides for the construction of two VVER-1000 power units and two RITM-200N reactors.
Once it reaches its designed capacity, the plant is expected to generate around 15.4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, covering more than 15% of the country's electricity needs.