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Uzbekistan intends to build a second and a third nuclear power plant, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on 16 October at a meeting with investors focused on the country’s nuclear energy prospects.
“Tomorrow, we will hold talks with new partners and investors on the construction of a second nuclear power plant. That is why we are paying very close attention to nuclear energy. Our uranium production is growing significantly. We have made substantial investments in uranium mining and developed our capabilities and expertise. That is why we have begun construction of the first NPP. We have plans for both a second and a third,” Mirziyoyev said.
The president offered no details on the proposed locations, capacities, construction timelines or costs of either new plant, and it remains unclear which investors were scheduled to attend the talks on 17 October.
The first plant: Rosatom, Jizzakh and a $9.5 billion price tag
Uzbekistan’s first nuclear power plant is under construction in Farish district, Jizzakh region, in partnership with Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom. The presidents of Uzbekistan and Russia formally launched construction of the first power unit on 4 June this year, with Russia expected to provide a concessional export loan for the project.
An additional agreement signed in March 2026 set out an integrated plant configuration combining large- and small-capacity units: two VVER-1000 reactors of 1,000 MW each and two RITM-200N small modular reactors of 55 MW each, giving a total installed capacity of 2,110 MW. At full capacity the plant is projected to generate around 17.2 billion kWh of electricity annually. The integrated project was estimated at $9.5 billion, according to information presented to the president on 2 September.
The first small reactor is scheduled for technical commissioning in 2029, the first large unit is expected to come online in 2033, and the full project is due for completion between 2034 and 2035.
Earlier signals and the China question
Mirziyoyev first publicly raised the prospect of a second nuclear power plant on 17 August during a visit to Khorezm region, saying authorities were carrying out extensive preparatory work but disclosing no further details.
A more specific indication emerged on 8 September, when Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, speaking at the Uzbekistan-Serbia business forum in Belgrade, relayed a conversation with Mirziyoyev. According to Vučić, Mirziyoyev told him Uzbekistan planned to build one nuclear power plant with Russia and a second with China, and intended to press ahead with further plants without waiting for the first two to be completed.
Uzbekistan’s authorities have not officially confirmed the selection of a Chinese company for any second plant, and no location, capacity, cost or timeline has been disclosed for that project.
Separately, Azim Akhmedkhadjaev, head of the Uzatom atomic energy agency, has said the Jizzakh region site could accommodate two additional large power units, though it is unclear whether that location is under consideration for either of the newly announced projects.
Mirziyoyev framed the nuclear ambitions in the context of the country’s expanding uranium sector, noting that production was growing significantly and that prior investments had built up domestic expertise — factors he cited as justification for accelerating the programme beyond the first plant.