Uzbekistan is exploring the possibility of bringing in Belarusian specialists to oversee the construction of a nuclear power plant in the Jizzakh province, according to the press service of the Atomic Energy Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers ("Uzatom").
On April 6, during a high-level meeting in Minsk, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Achilbay Ramatov and Belarus’s Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Karankevich discussed Belarus's experience in building and operating its own nuclear power plant. A key focus was the development of Ostrovets, the "satellite city" that supports the Belarusian plant with modern social and engineering infrastructure.
The Uzbek delegation proposed involving Belarusian experts as technical consultants for their domestic nuclear project. Discussions also covered the potential for Belarusian expert support in building social facilities and developing the specialized "atomic city" in the Jizzakh province.
Expressing readiness to support the initiative, the Belarusian side agreed to share their expertise in creating industrial infrastructure. Moving forward, both parties will continue studying Belarusian practices directly on-site. Following the talks, the delegation visited Ostrovets on April 7 to inspect the city's infrastructure and the site of the Belarusian NPP firsthand.
Viktor Karankevich reaffirmed their commitment to considering the participation of Belarusian construction and operational organizations in Uzbekistan’s upcoming projects.
During the negotiations, Achilbay Ramatov acknowledged that the nuclear power plant project in Uzbekistan continues to face a significant number of criticism.
"It is true that we intend to build nuclear power plants. Rosatom will serve as the primary contractor. If I recall correctly, our capacity will be around 2,400 MW? No, 2,110 MW. It will be built in the Farish district - a very remote location. But as you yourself mentioned, we still have many opponents to this project. While we have sufficient power capacity for today, we must look toward our future needs," he stated.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that current consumption sits at approximately 15 GW (statistical data shows that by the end of 2025, production reached 86.7 billion kWh, with consumption expected to be around 73.1 billion kWh).
On March 24, the first concrete was poured for the reactor building at the construction site in the Jizzakh province.
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