# Uzbekistan second nuclear plant / SMR readiness source note — 2026-08-21

## Why this was selected

Google News RSS and direct publisher checks found a substantive new August 20–21 development: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reportedly said Uzbekistan is undertaking extensive preparations for a **second nuclear power plant** even though its first integrated nuclear project has only recently moved into construction.

This is a useful Managing Expectations Energy item because the first Uzbek project combines large VVER units with **RITM-200N small modular reactors**, and the second-plant signal shows how fast energy-security and industrial-power narratives can move ahead of operating records.

## Source trail saved

- `source_media_gazeta_second_npp.html` — Gazeta.uz English article, direct publisher page, with the quoted August 17 Khorezm statement and reported first-project configuration.
- `source_media_times_central_asia_reader.md` — Times of Central Asia reader capture, August 21, 2026.
- `source_official_president_khorezm_projects.html` — President.uz official August 17 Khorezm projects page confirming the 12 completed projects worth $176 million and 15 new facilities worth $7.424 billion at the event where the nuclear comments were reported.
- `source_official_president_first_npp_launch.html` — President.uz official June 4 page saying Mirziyoyev and Vladimir Putin launched construction of the first power unit of an integrated nuclear power plant, with IAEA DG Rafael Grossi attending by video conference.
- `source_official_uzatom_integrated_npp_start.html` — Uzatom/government page on the integrated nuclear power plant construction start.
- `source_official_gov_energy_forecast.html` — Uzbekistan government page used by reporting for electricity-demand context.
- `source_trade_world_nuclear_news_iaea_reader.md` — World Nuclear News coverage of IAEA infrastructure-review context. Direct IAEA page had anti-bot/403 behavior in terminal checks, so the article links to IAEA directly but does not claim a successful direct capture.
- `google_news_rss_leads.txt` — RSS leads checked, including skipped Holtec Gujarat, Apollo Atomics, India SHANTI and market/uranium items.
- `source_urls.txt` — URL inventory.

## Facts safely used

- Gazeta.uz reports that on August 17 in Khorezm region, Mirziyoyev said Uzbekistan was making extensive preparations for a second nuclear power plant project. The same article says location, capacity and timeline for the second plant have not been disclosed.
- President.uz confirms the August 17 Khorezm event and the $176 million / $7.424 billion project package, but the official page captured here does not include the nuclear quote.
- President.uz confirms the June 4 launch of construction of the first power unit of an integrated NPP in Uzbekistan with Putin and IAEA DG Grossi participating by video conference.
- Gazeta.uz reports the first project includes two VVER-1000 units and two 55-MW RITM-200N SMR units at one site, total 2,110 MW, with phased technical/service dates from 2029 through 2034–2035.
- Times of Central Asia reports similar first-project configuration and emphasizes that the second NPP has no announced site, cost, timetable, capacity or technology partner.

## Cautions / fairness

- The second-plant statement is attributed to mainstream/regional reporting from the President's August 17 remarks. I did not locate a separate President.uz transcript/page containing the exact quoted “second plant” sentence before publication.
- This is not a reactor licence, technology selection, financing close, IAEA approval, procurement award, construction start or operating record for a second plant.
- The first project itself remains under construction. SMR-related facts should be described as reported project configuration and schedule targets, not achieved operation.
- Russia/Rosatom involvement in the first plant is official/reported context. Do not infer that the second plant will use the same partner or model unless later official records say so.
- Not investment advice: this source card is an infrastructure and evidence note, not a recommendation about uranium, nuclear suppliers, Rosatom-adjacent supply chains, reactor vendors, utilities, sovereign risk or data-center power stocks.

## Fetch log

[
  [
    "source_media_gazeta_second_npp.html",
    200,
    "https://www.gazeta.uz/en/2026/08/20/nuclear-power-station/",
    49460
  ],
  [
    "source_media_times_central_asia_reader.md",
    200,
    "https://r.jina.ai/http://timesca.com/uzbekistan-plans-second-nuclear-power-plant-before-first-is-ready/",
    26208
  ],
  [
    "source_official_president_khorezm_projects.html",
    200,
    "https://president.uz/en/lists/view/9506",
    28731
  ],
  [
    "source_official_president_first_npp_launch.html",
    200,
    "https://president.uz/en/lists/view/9282",
    25637
  ],
  [
    "source_official_uzatom_integrated_npp_start.html",
    200,
    "https://gov.uz/ru/uzatom/news/view/173590",
    194492
  ],
  [
    "source_official_gov_energy_forecast.html",
    200,
    "https://gov.uz/en/news/view/47013",
    102781
  ],
  [
    "source_trade_world_nuclear_news_iaea_reader.md",
    200,
    "https://r.jina.ai/http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/iaea-highlights-uzbekistans-nuclear-infrastructure-progress",
    5010
  ]
]