Baku, Azerbaijan, February 5
Trend:
Two possible sites for establishing Uzbekistan's first nuclear power plant have been selected - at Lake Tuzkan and the Tudakal reservoir, Trend reports with reference to the Uzbek media.
Uzatom's Deputy Director General Bahrom Mansurov spoke at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) seminar, where other industry specialists from Uzbekistan, Uzatom's representatives and Russia's Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation also participated. The seminar is taking place in Tashkent Feb. 4-6.
Mansurov said that currently, engineering surveys are being carried out at the two mentioned locations.
The official noted that three sites are being developed on Lake Tuzkan in northeastern Uzbekistan. Two of them are located in the coastal zone at a distance of about 4−5 km, the third - 15 km from the coastal zone.
At the same time, Mansurov noted that Lake Tuzkan is surrounded by salt marshes. The mineralization of water there is approximately 7–8 grams per liter.
On the Tudakul reservoir, surveys are conducted at four sites all of which are adjacent to the coastal zone.
Mansurov noted that the engineering survey at Tudakul was completed by 98 percent and data processing and preparation for the production of reports is underway.
“We are faced with a number of problems in this region. There are high seismic activity and high content of gypsum in soils at sites №1 and №2. Therefore, the main work of the general contractor focused on sites №3 and №4,“ he said.
Mansurov stressed that it is necessary to conduct more than engineering surveys to correctly select the site.
“We are considering techno-economic calculations that are not tied to the site but to the region as a whole, so we can choose a competent and safe technical solution in the assessment process,” the deputy general director noted.
He explained that work on the collection of basic data, analysis and evaluation in terms of nuclear safety precedes the selection of the site. The impact of external events of natural and man-made origin, characteristics of the site, the environment, population density and distribution, and other characteristics of the external zone in terms of emergency response capabilities should be taken into account.
The first nuclear plant power unit in Uzbekistan is scheduled for commissioning by the end of 2028.