US urges caution in choosing technical partner for NPP

US Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick urged the country's government to be careful in choosing a technical partner for its first nuclear power plant, "working with companies that can provide the best combination of technologies." He also stressed Washington's readiness to cooperate with Tashkent.

U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick has urged the country's authorities to "be careful" when choosing a technical partner for its first nuclear power plant, Izvestia reports. He made the warning at a nuclear energy conference.

"Of course, the choice of partners is up to Uzbekistan. We urge them to be very careful in researching and developing technology, choosing technical partners who offer the best combination of technologies for the republic, and who have a good reputation for security and other issues," said Jonathan Henik.

According to him, it is extremely important for the country to obtain a symbiosis of renewable sources and nuclear energy, which will allow balancing the load. The head of the American diplomatic mission also called for "partnership with companies that can provide the best combination of technologies," noting, in particular, Washington's readiness to cooperate with Tashkent.

In May of this year, during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Uzbekistan, an agreement was signed to build a six-unit low-power nuclear power plant in the Jizzakh region. In early June, the first meeting on the future construction was held, in particular, representatives of Uzatom and Rosatom inspected the site where the joint project is planned to be implemented.

The first unit is expected to be commissioned in 2029, with a total capacity of 330 MW.

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov announced during the 25th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for Cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan that Russia is already developing project documentation for the construction of a low-power nuclear power plant on the territory of Uzbekistan, and preparatory work has already begun at the site of the future station.

Battle for territory

Central Asia is facing an energy shortage amid population growth and industrial development. Russia is proposing to build nuclear and hydroelectric power plants in the region, arguing that nuclear technologies are the most profitable and efficient.

In response, Western countries, led by the United States, are actively trying to promote the concept of green energy, relying on environmental safety and the use of wind and solar power plants.

Negotiations on the construction of a nuclear power plant have also been ongoing in Kazakhstan for 10 years. A referendum was held in the country, in which citizens of the republic supported the construction of a nuclear power plant. However, the form of the consortium and the contractor have not yet been determined. Russia, Western countries, as well as China and South Korea have expressed interest in this project.