Uzbekistan Considers Turkish Company for Nuclear Plant Project

Uzbekistan Considers Turkish Company for Rosatom Nuclear Plant Project

Uzbekistan’s Agency for Atomic Energy, Uzatom, is considering cooperation with Turkish company Özaltın Holding in the construction of a nuclear power plant being developed in the country together with Rosatom.

According to Uzatom, representatives of the agency and Özaltın Holding held a meeting to discuss possible areas of cooperation within the nuclear power plant construction project in Uzbekistan.

The parties exchanged views on possible areas of cooperation and expressed interest in continuing the dialogue and studying the company's capabilities that could be in demand during the construction and infrastructure stages of the project.

What could Özaltın Holding do?

Uzatom chief Azim Akhmedkhadjayev said that involving international companies in the construction of the nuclear power plant is being carried out in accordance with an instruction from Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

According to Uzatom, Özaltın Holding has previous experience connected with the Turkey nuclear energy sector. The company was involved in the construction of a residential complex for employees of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, the country's first nuclear power plant.

Akkuyu consists of four power units equipped with Russian-designed VVER reactors and is being built by Rosatom.

Rosatom remains the general contractor

Earlier, Bakhtiyor Ergashev, director of the Tashkent-based Mano Center for Research Initiatives, told TASS that the participation of foreign companies in the construction of the nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan does not diminish Rosatom's role in the project.

Rosatom already has a signed agreement with Uzatom and acts as the general contractor for the large-scale project.

Uzbekistan is developing two types of nuclear power plants

A Russian-Uzbek intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the construction of a nuclear power plant was signed in 2018.

In 2024, the two countries signed a protocol amending the agreement and expanding cooperation to include the construction of a small-capacity nuclear power plant based on a Russian design.

As a result, small- and large-capacity nuclear power facilities are planned to be built at the same site in Uzbekistan. According to the information provided by Uzatom, this would create the world's first integrated nuclear power plant combining facilities of both types.

Source: MK-Turkey, citing the press service of Uzatom and TASS.