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By Olzhas Auyezov and Polina Nikolskaya
TASHKENT (Reuters) – Russia and Uzbekistan began Friday the preliminary work of the first project of nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, which is expected to cost 11 billion dollars in Moscow.
The plant, which will be largely financed by a Russian low-rate loan, will allow Uzbekistan to use more of its natural gas for other purposes, such as the production or export of chemicals.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev together pressed a symbolic button during a ceremony in a conference hall in Tashkent to mark the start of geological surveys to determine the location of the site.
Uzbekistan plans to sink its first concrete at the earliest in 2020 because of the complexity of the project. The plant will produce energy in 2028.
Today most of Uzbekistan's electricity is generated by gas turbines, but Central Asia, once a Soviet republic, says it wants to use its important natural gas.
Tashkent has signed agreements with Gazprom and several other Russian companies for the exploration and development of some new hydrocarbon deposits and the construction of a new chemical plant.
According to Jurabek Mirzamahmudov, head of the Uzbek agency for nuclear energy, UzAtom, the amount of energy consumed by a nuclear power plant using modern gas turbines consume more than 3.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year. year.
produce half a million tons of polymers, "he told reporters this week.
Uzbekistan also exports gas to Russia and China.
Mirzamahmudov said that it was possible Uzbekistan would add two more blocks to the factory in the future, doubling its capacity.
Up to now, however, the cost n & # 39; It is not clear even for the first two blocks.Moscow has estimated the amount at $ 11 billion, but Mirzamahmudov said the talks would begin next year and Tashkent hoped the figure could be reduced.
And, although fuel represents less than one-tenth of the final cost of energy, it could also be made cheaper by using a toll system whereby Russia would deal with the uranium extracted by the company. Uzbekistan, say officials
(Edited by Mark Heinrich) [19659015] (This story has not been modified by the staff of Business Standard and is generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)
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