Uzbekistan has established formal procedures for declaring an emergency, transmitting urgent information, and providing rapid response in the event of a radiation accident — or the risk of one — at a nuclear power plant.
Under the new regulation, plant operators can declare one of two emergency levels: "emergency preparedness" and "emergency." The first is triggered when there is a risk of a radiation accident; the second is declared once an accident has actually occurred, with the aim of containing its spread, mitigating its consequences, and resolving it.
The "emergency preparedness" level is activated when safe operating conditions at the plant are breached, when radiation levels reach or exceed set thresholds, or when events such as earthquakes, explosions, fires, or flooding affect the plant's safety systems. The "emergency" level is declared once radiation levels reach or surpass the threshold defined for an actual accident, or once a decision has been made to manage a severe accident.
The decision to declare either level rests with the head of the organization operating the plant, or their designated deputy. If neither can be reached, that authority passes to the shift supervisor on duty. The moment either level is declared, a staff protection action plan is simultaneously activated.
Relevant government authorities must be notified immediately, in writing or electronically, of an accident or the risk of one. For as long as an emergency level remains in effect, the operating organization is required to report to the Committee for Industrial, Radiation, and Nuclear Safety and to Uzbekistan's Atomic Energy Agency (Uzatom) every 12 hours, providing updates on the radiation situation, plant safety, and measures being taken.
The plant will also be required to set up both internal and external emergency response headquarters — an internal command post in a protected location on the plant grounds, and an external one at a safe location outside the facility.
Nuclear plants must conduct at least one site-wide emergency drill per year. Following each drill, operators must draw up a formal report detailing any shortcomings identified, along with corrective measures, deadlines, and the officials responsible for implementing them. The regulation takes effect on the date of its official publication.
The announcement follows earlier reports that Uzbekistan is making significant preparations for a second nuclear power plant. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev disclosed the plans on August 17 during a ceremony launching new investment projects in the Khorezm region.
The location, capacity, and timeline for the second plant have not yet been disclosed. In December 2025, Uzatom director Azim Akhmedkhodjaev raised the possibility of building a second large-capacity nuclear plant, though he noted at the time that no concrete plans were yet in place.
