Uzbekistan has developed a strategy for managing nuclear waste.

The director of the "Uzatom" agency, Azim Akhmedkhadzhayev, informed the Azerbaijani publication Trend about the development of a strategy project for handling spent nuclear fuel, radioactive waste, and decommissioning nuclear facilities. The document, created in accordance with the legal regulations of the republic, is currently in the process of being coordinated with the relevant authorities.

Akhmedkhadzhayev noted that Uzbekistan plans to utilize the natural uranium extracted in the country as feedstock for nuclear fuel production. This will help regulate supply costs and reduce the production costs of electricity generated at nuclear power plants.

As part of the construction of a small modular reactor (SMR), environmental studies are being conducted, including monitoring of groundwater, seismic activity, and meteorological characteristics. The work is being carried out based on recommendations from IAEA experts during the SEED mission in 2022. The energy commissioning of the first block of the plant is scheduled for 60 months after the construction begins, with subsequent blocks being brought online at six-month intervals.