MILAN, Italy, May 5. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) needs to analyze the possibility of supporting the nuclear power plant project in Uzbekistan, Kanokpan Lao-Araya, Country Director of the ADB for Uzbekistan, told reporters on the sidelines of the Annual Meeting in Milan, Italy, Trend reports.
“In terms of nuclear energy, of course it is a new area in ADB. We have to reconsider it because there are also some risks,” she said, answering a question about the small nuclear power plant project in Jizzakh, Uzbekistan.
The country director noted that the ADB hasn’t been supporting any member country in nuclear energy.
“So it is still under the study. We will have to do the cost-benefit analysis and then review it together with the government,” Lao-Araya explained.
The construction of the first production facilities for Uzbekistan’s small nuclear power plant project in the Jizzakh district is now underway.
Work officially began on April 15 with the development of a key infrastructure base that will support the construction of the plant’s power units. The site will house administrative offices, production workshops, storage depots, and large-scale assembly facilities essential for the project’s implementation.
Under an agreement signed between Uzbekistan and Russia on May 27, 2024, a small-scale nuclear power plant with a total capacity of 330 MW will be built in the district. The plant will consist of six reactors, each with a capacity of 55 MW.