Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov explains to “Atomexpo” why Uzbekistan decided to build a nuclear power plant

Uzbekistan decided to build the first nuclear power plant in its history on the basis of long-term economic interests, first deputy minister of energy of the Republic, director general of the “Uzatom” Agency Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov said.

“I will express a few simple thoughts, why we decided to develop our nuclear power industry. We are not following some kind of trend, this is a purely economic decision,” Mr. Mirzamakhmudov said during the plenary session of “Atomexpo – 2019” in Sochi.

He stressed that natural gas, with the help of which the country generates the main volume of electricity, will not allow in the future to meet the growing needs of the population and the economy.

“We have planned to use renewable energy sources, hydroelectric power plants, but the population is growing. According to our estimates, these measures will not be enough to cope with future demand and therefore one of the ways to satisfy it is to build a nuclear power plant,” the head of “Uzatom” noted.

According to him, nuclear power plants of a new generation “will work for hundreds of years and this is planning for a long-term future”.

Another reason why Uzbekistan focuses on nuclear energy is the development of science and economic sectors. “Now we see that it is a safe, reliable, environmentally friendly and cost-effective source of energy,” Mirzamakhmudov added.

It should be recalled that the “Rosatom” Corporation, which ranks first in the world by the number and scale of foreign projects, has reached an agreement on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. It will consist of two VVER-1200 energy units of “3+” generation with a capacity of 1,200 MW each. It is expected that the site selection for the construction of NPP will be completed in 2019.

For information, the annual international forum “Atomexpo” is the largest business and exhibition platform in the world of nuclear power industry.