When Alexei Likhachev, General Manager of the Russian State Atomic Energy Group, and Azim Ahmad Hajyev, General Manager of the Uzbekistan State Atomic Energy Company, completed the final signing process in Tashkent, concrete mixer trucks were ready on the construction site in the desert of Farish District, Jizak Oblast, hundreds of kilometers away from the capital. On March 24, 2026, Uzbekistan's first nuclear power plant reached a dual milestone from planning to actual construction.

The comprehensive blueprint behind the roadmap

This just signed cooperation roadmap covers far more than the steel and cement construction of traditional nuclear power plants. It outlines a complete nuclear energy ecosystem from hard technology to soft environment.

The document specifies three core areas: a systematic training program for local nuclear energy professionals, the construction of public understanding and support for modern nuclear technology, and the planning and development of a "nuclear new city" around nuclear power plants. This signifies that the goal of the project is not only to build a power plant, but also to establish a sustainable nuclear energy industry foundation and public trust in Uzbekistan.

How 2.4 million kilowatts will change the energy landscape of Ukraine

The signing of this roadmap is based on the important consensus reached by 2025. On June 20, 2025, during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the two sides signed an agreement to determine the main commercial and technical terms for the construction of a nuclear power plant with an installed capacity of 2.4 million kilowatts (2.4GW) in Ukraine. In August of the same year, the selected factory site had already started on-site geological survey and preparation work.

The construction of this nuclear power plant has strategic significance for Uzbekistan. The country has long faced a situation of tight power supply, especially during the winter electricity peak. After the power station is completed and put into operation, it is expected to meet about 14% of Uzbekistan's national electricity demand. This will not only significantly improve the stability of energy supply, but also release more natural gas resources for export and foreign exchange earnings, providing a solid energy guarantee for the country's long-term economic growth.

Russian style speed from survey to pouring

The signing of this roadmap is almost synchronized with the key nodes of the on-site project. With the pouring of the first concrete tank, the project has officially entered a new stage of construction for the main structures such as the reactor building. This reflects the "Russian style speed" of continuous acceleration in the project since the main terms were determined and the site survey was launched in 2025.

The nuclear power plant will adopt the VVER-1200 third-generation nuclear power technology designed by Russia, which has been applied in many countries around the world for its high safety and economy. The rapid progress of the project not only reflects the urgent need of the Uzbekistan government to solve energy problems, but also demonstrates Russia's strong engineering execution and delivery capabilities in the field of nuclear energy exports.Editor/Yang Meiling