The use of renewable energy sources is becoming one of the important directions in the country's energy policy. In particular, using solar energy not only helps to increase the stability of electricity supply but also provides the opportunity to reduce energy costs for the population.
Under this program, solar panels will be installed free of charge for 1197 families listed in the 'Iron Register'.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved a proposal to increase the basic standard of electricity consumption for areas lacking gas supply or gas delivery. The basic standard has been increased from 200 kWh to 350 kWh for electricity use during the heating season.
At the meeting chaired by the President, measures for social support of the population during the autumn-winter period were presented. Among the proposed measures is the extension of the coverage period for part of the expenses for electricity and gas exceeding the basic standard until April 1, 2028.
This measure is expected to cover 470 thousand families over the year. Additionally, a proposal was considered to increase the maximum income per person for supporting needy families not included in the unified social register to cover expenses for electricity, gas, coal, and utilities, up to 1,430,000 UZS. This will further expand support coverage to another 166 thousand families.
It was also proposed to consider providing one-time financial assistance to needy families in December. Work continues on equipping 3 thousand homes in settlements with difficult conditions with heating systems and installing energy-saving equipment in them.
Mirziyoyev instructed the government to ensure the timely transfer of funds for aid and guarantee their receipt by needy families. He also gave directives on improving the efficiency of managing energy enterprises, as well as reducing excess costs and losses in the networks.
Sirojiddin Hurramovich Boboqulov successfully defended his dissertation in technical sciences at the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) level.
The topic of his dissertation was dedicated to the research 'Influence of solar energy on critical properties of superconductors of the series Bi1.7Pb0.3Sr2Ca(n-1)CunO4+2n+δ (n=5-9)'.
According to Ilhom Sodikov, about seventy potential sites for building an NPP were considered in Uzbekistan in the 1980s, but this topic was later closed, and interest in nuclear energy only revived in 2017.
In Tashkent, on October 4, the Sputnik agency reported that the idea of creating a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan had been discussed back in the 1980s, after which the topic was excluded from the agenda for a long time. This was told by academician Ilhom Sodikov, director of the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences, in an interview with the publication 'Vestnik Atoma'.
He specified that during the Soviet period, nearly 70 possible locations for building an NPP in Uzbekistan were selected, and the plans were very serious. After the collapse of the USSR, the project was forgotten.
In 2001, the Institute of Nuclear Physics initiated a major scientific seminar on NPP construction, which included specialists from the Institute of Seismology of Uzbekistan, as well as experts in water use and Russian specialists.
Nevertheless, according to Sodikov, at that time the country's leadership held a negative attitude towards nuclear energy. He stated: 'We were told not to raise this topic. After that, nuclear energy was not mentioned in any of the institute's plans.'
The situation changed in 2017 when Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the decision to develop nuclear energy in the country. Following this, the institute was able to begin selecting a site for the NPP, preparing initial documentation, and working on environmental and radiation monitoring.
The current project involves combining large and small reactors on one site: the plan is to build two VVER-1000 and two RITM-200N power units. Sodikov emphasized that such an approach has not been used anywhere in the world before.
The issue of seismic safety was also discussed in detail during the interview. In the 2000s, one of the reasons against building an NPP was the fact that Uzbekistan is a seismically active region. However, Sodikov linked this to the attitude of that time, noting: 'Seismicity was then used only as a formal pretext.'
In the scientist's opinion, the seismic condition of the region has not changed since then, but modern reactors are built even in areas of high seismic activity. He gave examples of Bangladesh and Turkey, emphasizing that the stations are designed with a large margin of safety.
Sodikov also noted that during meetings with residents of Jizzakh region, he always emphasizes the issue of safety. He stated: 'The first thing for a nuclear power plant is safety, the second is still safety, the third and fourth are also safety. Only after that come economic and technical issues.'
In his opinion, launching an NPP will not only reduce the energy deficit in Uzbekistan but also promote the development of highly technological industries such as metallurgy, chemical industry, and construction material production.
Sodikov also did not rule out the possibility that Uzbekistan could export electricity that it currently imports.
