TASHKENT, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday launched a project to build the first nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan.
A ceremony of constructing the nuclear plant in Uzbekistan was held during the official visit of Putin to Uzbekistan.
According to the Uzbek-Russian intergovernmental agreement, the construction of a Russia-designed nuclear plant in Uzbekistan is estimated at about 11 billion U.S. dollars, including two power blocks with an installed capacity of 1.2 GW each.
"With the launch of the nuclear power plant construction project, Uzbekistan and Russia have opened up a new area of strategic cooperation," Mirziyoyev said, adding this project will help further develop the industry potential and create new employment opportunities.
According to Uzbekistan's official data, 85 percent of the country's electricity generation comes from coal and natural gas.
Along with economic development, the demand for electricity has increased year by year. It is expected that the demand for electricity will double by 2030.
