Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Uzbekistan can localize the production of nuclear fuel for its first own nuclear power plant (NPP). This was stated by the head of the representative office of the British New Nuclear Watch Institute (NNWI) in Central Asia, Baurzhan Ibraev, during a seminar in Mersin (Türkiye).

In 2017, Uzbekistan announced plans to build a nuclear power plant. Uzbekistan and Rosatom will enter into negotiations on the construction of the station. The project involves the construction of a nuclear power plant with VVER-1200 type reactors with a capacity of 1.2 GWh in Jizzakh region.

Baurzhan Ibraev noted that Uzbekistan’s competencies in the field of nuclear energy were 5 times lower compared to Kazakhstan when decision on construction of NPP was adopted. Now, according to him, the competence of Uzbekistan is twice as high as that of Kazakhstan.

He noted that Uzbekistan will soon sign an agreement on the construction of a nuclear power plant. He added that Uzbekistan also plans to localize fuel production in Uzbekistan. Also, Uzbekistan, according to Ibraev, is considering the issue of organizing recycling of spent nuclear fuel.

The cost of natural uranium is constantly rising. In this regard, tomorrow spent nuclear fuel will be put into circulation at nuclear power plants.

In his opinion, countries with recycling technology will be ahead of the rest. Today only Russia and France have these technologies. “If Uzbekistan is among them, then this will be a very high competence for them,” noted Baurzhan Ibraev.

To supply nuclear fuel to other nuclear power plants, Uzbekistan will need to obtain permission from Rosatom, Baurzhan Ibraev said. In his opinion, Uzbekistan may receive such a right to supply fuel to future nuclear power plants in Central Asia.

NNWI held a seminar for journalists from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan and Egypt on issues of covering the development of nuclear and renewable energy. The seminar took place in Mersin (Türkiye). Rosatom is building Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant in Mersin province.