Rosatom Has Started Construction of the World’s First Export Small Modular Nuclear Power Plant in Uzbekistan

By The Inspirer.

This unique project can serve as an inspiration for Rwanda, which is actively developing its own nuclear energy.

On June 4, 2026, a ceremony marking the start of construction of the first power unit of an integrated nuclear power plant (NPP) took place at the construction site in Farish District of Uzbekistan’s Jizzakh Region. The ceremony marked the pouring of the first concrete into the foundation slab of the future small modular unit within the integrated nuclear power plant project. 

The ceremony was held via a live video link between the NPP construction site in Uzbekistan and St. Petersburg, where the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, ShavkatMirziyoyev, authorised the commencement of construction of the integrated NPP’s first power unit. Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossidelivered a welcome address to participants at the site. Progress on the project was reported by First Deputy Director General for Nuclear Energy of Rosatom and President of JSC Atomstroyexport Andrey Petrov, and Director of the Atomic Energy Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Uzatom) Azim Akhmedkhadzhaev.

“Uzbekistan is embarking on a path of accelerated high-tech development, and it is a great honor for Rosatom to be part of this historic process. Together with our partners, we are only at the beginning of the project’s implementation, yet its significance is already evident. Once commissioned, the NPP will be capable of supplying up to 14% of the country’s electricity demand. This will provide a powerful boost to industrial, technological, and economic development. Moreover, the atomic city project that we have proposed to Uzbekistan will create an entirely new community.  What grows around the NPP will be much more than a satellite town – it will be a genuine science city showcasing advanced nuclear and related technologies,” emphasised First Deputy Director General for Nuclear Energy at Rosatom Andrey Petrov.

Just a few days ago, on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), participants discussed the prospects for nuclear energy development, including SMRprojects and personnel training for newcomer countries. Speaking at the SPIEF, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev outlined three key tasks facing such projects.

“We have three main tasks: to build a unique nuclear power plant, to strengthen and establish a nuclear industry in Uzbekistan, and to foster a social environment,” noted Alexey Likhachev.

The “first concrete” pouring for the reactor building’s foundation marks the transition of the facility into a status of under construction in accordance with the IAEA standards. This milestone marks the beginning of a key stage in implementing Uzbekistan’s integrated NPP project and represents a logical continuation of the long-standing cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan in nuclear technologies. As part of the “first-concrete” stage, specialists will pour 133 cubic meters of concrete mix, while the total volume of concrete required for the project will amount to 10,000 cubic meters. 

This project is unique for Rosatom: it is the world’s first export contract for the construction of a small modular nuclear power plant (SMR) with RITM-200N reactors (55 MWe each). The project includes two such power units. Once fully commissioned, the plant will generate 17.2 billion kWh of electricity annually.

The successful launch of construction of Uzbekistan’s first integrated NPP can serve as inspiration for Rwanda, which is also on the path to developing its national nuclear energy sector.

Cooperation between Russia and Rwanda in this field has been actively developing since 2019, when a Memorandum of Understanding on personnel training was signed. A joint working group is functioning, and in December 2025 its latest meeting presented a country–specific training plan for Rwanda’s future SMR.

Currently, 108 students from Rwanda are studying at Russian universities in nuclear specialisations (mostly at the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, RUDN University, and Tomsk Polytechnic University). In 2025, 9 people graduated from MEPhI. In total, 18 graduates of Russian universities with nuclear specialisations have been employed by the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board (RAEB) and specialised organisations. For the 2026/2027 academic year, Rwanda has been allocated 20 Rosatom quotas.

Uzbekistan’s experience clearly demonstrates how systematic work in three areas – training national personnel, establishing a regulatory infrastructure (licensing, expert review), and university cooperation – enables a newcomer country to move from memoranda to actual nuclear power plant construction.

For Rwanda, which already has an approved country–specific training plan for its future SMR, a well–established partnership with MEPhI and Rosatom, and its first graduates already working at the RAEB, the Uzbek precedent confirms the correctness of the chosen trajectory. It shows that, with consistent implementation of a human resources strategy and the phased development of a national nuclear infrastructure, a SMRproject can be successfully launched within a foreseeable period.

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The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is one of the most important events in the economic space of the CIS. The forum is organised by the Roscongress Foundation and has been held annually since 1997. SPIEF has established itself as a key global event where contemporary economic challenges facing Russia, emerging markets and the world as a whole are discussed in a practical manner, practical decisions are taken, innovative large-scale projects are launched, and new approaches to adapting the global economy to current conditions take concrete shape.

Major Russian companies continue to expand their range of solutions for unlocking the potential of students and young employees. Rosatom and its enterprises are involved in establishing core university departments in Russian higher education institutions, implementing scholarship support programmes, major educational projects, arranging work placements and internships for students with subsequent employment opportunities.