Uzbekistan has not removed the nuclear plant project from the table, and at the same time studies the achievements in the field of small nuclear reactors, the Minister of Energy Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov told to Energy Intelligence in an interview.
According to him, the Uzbek authorities are continuing discussions with the Russian Rosatom on the nuclear power plant project, but work is progressing a little slower than expected.
“I would not say that there is no progress on this issue. The work is ongoing as part of the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy between Russia and Uzbekistan. Perhaps the work is progressing a little slower than we expected, because we are considering all aspects, agreeing and checking every detail, addressing possible risks. In parallel, we are now looking at the latest advances in the field of small modular reactors, which are becoming very popular,” he said.
The minister stressed that the project of a nuclear power plant was a very serious obligation for the state, both financially and from other points of view.
“Therefore, we are now primarily focusing on the swift development of renewable energy sources in order to eliminate the existing energy shortage. However, we have not removed the project of building a nuclear power plant from the agenda - we are studying technologies, training personnel, and negotiating with partners. We must eliminate all risks,” he said.
