Russia's "Rosatom" company will build a low-capacity nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan based on a contract signed during President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to the country.

Axar.az reports that this information comes from the "Atlas" Research Center.

It was noted that Uzbekistan will finance the construction of the nuclear power plant. "Rosatom" CEO Alexey Likhachev stated that construction will begin without delay. The reason for the accelerated construction in Uzbekistan is clear: "Rosatom" wants to complete this project and sign another contract with Tashkent. Uzbekistan's energy demand is expected to double by 2050. The first reactor of the nuclear power plant will become operational in 2029. Other countries' companies are also interested in building nuclear power plants in Uzbekistan.

According to the center's information, "Rosatom" also intends to construct a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan: "Kazakhstan is the world's largest uranium producer. In 2020, the country produced 19,800 tons of the radioactive metal, accounting for nearly 41% of global reserves. Therefore, Russia aims to gain a significant share in the Kazakh market. The Kazakh government believes that the nuclear power plant could meet up to 20% of the electricity shortfall. In 2019, President Putin discussed the construction of a nuclear power plant with his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. There is a verbal agreement, and the location for the plant has also been agreed upon, likely to be near the town of Ulken, close to Almaty."

It was mentioned that due to the responsible nature of the decision, the Kazakh president does not want to unilaterally decide on the construction of the nuclear power plant: "Therefore, Tokayev has put the issue of building nuclear power plants in Kazakhstan to a national referendum. The referendum will take place on October 6 of this year. A little over 50% of those coming to the polling stations must vote positively. The results of the referendum are likely to be favorable. Companies from France, China, and South Korea are also interested in constructing nuclear power plants in Kazakhstan, but it is highly probable that the construction will be entrusted to 'Rosatom.'"

Thus, Russia's "Rosatom" company will continue its nuclear power plant construction in Turkiye, as well as in two other Turkic countries—Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

"Rosatom" could make a similar offer to official Baku. Azerbaijan currently prefers alternative energy production and is implementing projects in this direction. Additionally, one of the main goals is to increase energy exports from Azerbaijan to Europe. "Rosatom" executives have met with Azerbaijani officials in various years, discussing topics such as improving nuclear sciences, enhancing the material-technical base in this field, and strengthening the highly qualified personnel potential. It is clear that if Azerbaijan shows interest in building a nuclear power plant one day, "Rosatom" will be the main contender, just as in Turkiye, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.