Russia to Construct Central Asia’s First Nuclear Power Plant in Uzbekistan

Russia will build a small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, the first such project in post-Soviet Central Asia, announced Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.The nuclear deal will showcase Russia’s ability to export not only energy, but also high-tech products to new Asian markets, at a time when the West is increasing pressure on it through sanctions.

Mirziyoyev also said Tashkent was interested in buying more oil and gas from Russia, a reversal of decades-long practice where Moscow imported hydrocarbons from Central Asia.The Uzbek president described Putin’s visit as “historic.” “It heralds the beginning of a new age in the comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance relations between our countries,” he said.

Putin also called Tashkent Moscow’s “strategic partner and reliable ally.”

The leaders gave no details of the planned nuclear project, although Mirziyoyev’s comments indicate it has been scaled down from the one they agreed in 2017, but never finalised. There are no nuclear power plants in any of the five ex-Soviet Central Asian republics, although Uzbekistan and its neighbour Kazakhstan, both uranium producers, have long said their growing economies needed them.

The Kazakh project, however, can only move ahead after a national referendum which has not yet been scheduled.

Taking advantage of Russia’s campaign to redirect its gas exports to Asia amid a rift with the West over Ukraine, Uzbekistan last October started importing Russian natural gas via the same pipeline which had previously pumped it in the reverse direction. Although its own gas production remains substantial at about 50 billion cubic meters a year, Uzbekistan struggles to fully meet domestic demand, and Russian supplies have allowed it to avert an energy crisis.