The idea of Uzbekistan building a nuclear power plant together with warring Russia could cause mistrust in Western Europe and America, completely deteriorating the investment climate and creating an internal political time bomb for this Central Asian republic. You may have to embed it.
While Russian propaganda presents the deal as the "project of the century" and a "major step towards energy independence," analysts in Western media wonder what awaits the Central Asian republic after implementation. I'm trying more and more.
Although it is known that nuclear power plants will be built, Uzbekistan itself currently does not have properly qualified specialists in nuclear energy. And by choosing to prioritize only one country's interests on the all-important issue of nuclear energy, Tashkent is effectively putting itself in a nuclear bind. What kind of energy independence is possible when all control of this strategic facility is in the hands of one country?
The situation at home is becoming increasingly difficult to understand. According to an opinion poll conducted by the Strategic and Interregional Research Institute of the Republic of Uzbekistan, anti-nuclear sentiment in the country is increasing, especially related to the construction of nuclear power plants. And the decision to build a nuclear power plant was taken without the consent of the people of Uzbekistan, that is, without taking into account the opinions of experts and residents of the republic, without holding a referendum, and without the people's free expression of their opinions. That's not the only reason. Concerns are growing in wide circles in the Republic over the possible environmental consequences of the lowering of water levels in the Aydar Alnasai lake system, including Lake Tuzcan, to ensure the operation and cooling of nuclear power plant reactors.
According to researchers, due to low water levels and its aggressive composition, Tuzkan is not suitable for supplying water to power plants. In other words, even if the safety of the project was questioned from the beginning and the human factor was ruled out. High seismic activity is an objective factor that can have a significant impact on project safety. Taking this into account, the authorities of the Republic of Uzbekistan should consider relocating the site for the construction of nuclear power plants to more favorable areas.
In the national security concept of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the formation of an environmental security system in the Central Asian region is given top priority. But in reality, the situation looks quite alarming. The upper reaches of the Syr Darya River, which borders Kyrgyzstan on Uzbekistan's eastern border, is in a zone of increasing environmental threats. There is an unbalanced uranium ore waste in the area of Mileusuu village. As a result of the landslide process, waste warehouses have been exposed and are flowing into the Naryn River, which then flows into the Karas River, which flows through the Fergana Basin. Radioactive waste warehouses near the villages of Kadamjai, Sumsar, Shekaftar and Degmai are equally dangerous.
The water of the Amu Darya River is contaminated with agricultural wastewater and petroleum products from the territories of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan... In a word, it is a cluster of environmental diseases in a relatively small area. And the construction of nuclear power plants is sure to increase these risks several times!
Finally, to all of the above there should be added further real danger. Nuclear power plants can be targets for terrorists and extremists, and there are significant numbers of terrorists and extremists in the region. The region borders Afghanistan, which is constantly in combat. And the republic itself has not always been at peace. High-profile incidents in the Fergana Valley and regular border disputes with neighboring countries do not guarantee that the authorities will be able to maintain the situation in the event of an emergency at a nuclear power plant.