This announcement comes as Uzatom and Rosatom signed two additional documents on March 24 regarding the construction of Uzbekistan’s first nuclear facility. Concrete pouring for the nuclear power unit has already commenced at the designated site in the Forish district.
Discrepancies in project valuation
The staggering figure cited by the Rosatom chief has raised questions regarding the project's total cost. Just one year ago, in March 2025, the director of Uzatom, Azim Akhmedkhodjayev, stated in an interview that the cost of building the small-scale NPP would not exceed $2 billion.
While the financial specifics – including project-estimate parameters, total plant value, and the eventual cost of electricity – have not been officially disclosed to the public, Likhachev emphasized the macroeconomic benefits for Russia. He noted that the project would create roughly 1,000 direct jobs in Russia and provide a significant return on investment. According to Likhachev, every ruble invested during the construction phase will return up to 1.5 rubles to the Russian economy, rising to 2 rubles during the operational phase.
Localization and technical specifications
Despite the high volume of orders headed to Russia, Azim Akhmedkhodjayev noted that an agreement has been reached to purchase necessary materials for the station's construction with a focus on local involvement. At the current stage, the level of localization is expected to reach at least 29-30%.
The updated project configuration in the Forish district includes:
- Two low-power power units equipped with RITM-200N reactors (55 MW each).
- Two conventional large power units equipped with VVER-1000 reactors.
This unique combination makes Uzbekistan the first country in the world to co-locate two different types of nuclear station projects on a single site. The integrated complex is expected to have a total capacity of 2.1 GW.
