Key facts
- Uzbekistan is scaling back Russia's role in its first nuclear power plant project.
- President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the creation of a new consortium involving international engineering companies to oversee construction.
- Rosatom, Russia's nuclear entity, was notably absent from a recent government update on the project.
- The project aims to increase domestic production share to at least 30% and utilize national enterprises for 65% of construction work.
- The overall cost of the project, which includes two 1 GW VVER-1000 reactors and two 55 MW RITM-200N models, is estimated at $9.5 billion.
Uzbekistan appears to be scaling back its nuclear cooperation with Russia, signaling potential shifts in bilateral relations and project management. Initially, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated the groundbreaking for Uzbekistan's first nuclear reactors, to be built by Russia's Rosatom, on June 4. However, a September 2 update from Mirziyoyev's press service on the integrated nuclear plant's construction notably omitted any mention of Rosatom.
Instead, the statement endorsed the creation of a new consortium involving leading international engineering companies to enhance project management, technical oversight, and independent assessments. This move suggests Rosatom's role may be significantly diminished, indicating a potential loss of trust from the Uzbek government regarding the project's execution.
Uzbekistan's frustration with Rosatom seems to have been building since early 2026, with construction start dates being postponed. Mirziyoyev also made a surprise announcement in August about extensive preparatory work for a second nuclear plant, without detailing who would build it or its cost. These developments point to underlying tensions in Uzbek-Russian relations, with discontent seemingly running both ways.
Further signaling a potential pivot, Mirziyoyev met with US Senator Steve Daines twice in early September, a move that could potentially vex Putin, especially given the Trump administration's past interest in developing nuclear energy cooperation with Central Asian states, particularly in small modular reactors (SMRs).
The core issue appears to be financial and related to localization. The $9.5 billion project, which includes two 1 GW VVER-1000 reactors and two smaller 55 MW RITM-200N models, faces an uncertain financing future. Russia's proposed financing plans were apparently unattractive to Tashkent. Beyond financing, Uzbekistan intends to increase the share of local production to at least 30 percent and have national enterprises carry out 65 percent of construction and installation work, up from the current estimated 21 percent ($1.9 billion). Mirziyoyev has ordered officials to prepare a plan for a manufacturing complex to produce building materials and components locally.