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By Trend

If Uzbekistan decides to launch a nuclear energy program, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) can upon request provide guidance, advice, training and review services, an IAEA spokesman told Trend in an interview.

As noted, the IAEA offers its Member States a wide array of review services, in which an IAEA-led team of experts compares actual practices with IAEA standards in, for example, nuclear safety and security, energy and safeguards or the health sector.

"At the request of Uzbekistan’s Government, the IAEA and the newly established Nuclear Energy Development Agency Uzatom will held a workshop in February in Tashkent on safety and non-safety aspects to be considered in siting and site evaluation for nuclear power plants," the representative stated.

The workshop with participation of Uzatom, the nuclear regulatory body and other relevant national organizations focused on IAEA safety review services, safety standard, site evaluation for nuclear power plants etc.

Uzbekistan, the latest country to launch a nuclear power program, has initiated the process to select a site for a nuclear power plant and aims to grant a site license in September 2020, local officials have confirmed. Uzbekistan is among about 30 countries that are considering, planning or actively working to include nuclear power into their energy mix.

In early September 2018, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and the head of the Government of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov signed an agreement on cooperation in the construction of nuclear power plants.

Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom plans to build a complex of two 3+ generation units with VVER-1200 reactor units. The site near Tuzkan Lake in the Uzbekistan’s Jizzakh region was chosen as the priority site for the construction.

The construction of the first Central Asian nuclear power plant is planned to be completed by 2028, and a contract for the construction of the facility is to be signed in December 2019.

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