Uzbekistan expects to receive nuclear fuel for ASMM in mid-2029: delivery dates and implementation stages confirmed

Uzbekistan plans to receive the first batch of nuclear fuel for a low-power nuclear power plant in mid-2029-six months before the planned launch of the first power unit. This was announced by Deputy Director for Capital Construction of the State Enterprise "NPP Construction Directorate" O. Amanov during the MINEX Central Asia 2025 forum.

According to him, the supply of fuel is regulated by contractual obligations. In accordance with the terms of the agreement, the Uzbek side must send natural uranium to Russia two years before the planned fuel loading, that is, in 2027. After that, the Russian side will start the production cycle of fuel intended for the first reactor.

The ASMM project is being implemented in the Jizzakh region and provides for the construction of a 330 MW plant with six ground-based RITM-200N reactors. Each of them has an electric capacity of 55 MW, and a thermal capacity of 190 MW, with a declared service life of up to 60 years. The replacement of nuclear fuel will take place at intervals of 5-6 years.

Power start-up of the first power unit is scheduled for the end of 2029. Each subsequent block will be launched in stages, with an interval of six months. The station is scheduled to reach its full capacity by 2032.

In parallel, the production part of the project is being developed. On May 13, 2025, Rosatom's machine-building division started manufacturing reactor equipment. At the first stage, a special alloy steel ingot weighing 205 tons was cast, from which the RITM-200 reactor vessel will be made.

In May 2024, Uzbekistan and Russia signed a set of documents consolidating cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear energy, including a contract for the design, supply and construction of the ASMM station. The documents were issued within the framework of the state visit, which emphasized the strategic nature of the nuclear partnership between the two countries.

In parallel with the ASMM project, prospects for the construction of a high-capacity nuclear power plant are being discussed. On June 20, 2025, during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an agreement was signed on the construction of two power units with VVER-1000 reactors and the possibility of expanding to four. It is assumed that the object will be located on the same site where the ASMM is being built.

The concept of a combined nuclear complex consisting of small and large power plants is focused on the formation of a full-fledged carbon-free energy cluster in Uzbekistan. This solution meets the growing domestic demand for electricity, as well as the country's strategic course towards the development of environmentally friendly energy sources.