BISHKEK (TCA) — Gazprom Kyrgyzstan JSC, a subsidiary of Russian gas giant Gazprom, on August 29 launched several projects in Kyrgyzstan including completion of gasification of the Ala-Too residential area, a backbone regional gas pipeline, and opening of the company’s new office. Kyrgyz Prime Minister Sapar Isakov also awarded Gazprom employees with government awards.
Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Board, and Sapar Isakov, the newly elected Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, attended the ceremony. It was Isakov’s first public appearance as the new PM.
“Gazprom has been present in our market for more than 10 years, and the company paid about $1 billion in taxes over this period. This amount equals to one-third of the country’s foreign debt. The gas price has become significantly lower than several years ago, in spite of inflation. This shows our strategic relations with Russia,” Isakov said.
After the opening speech, a solemn ceremony of supplying fuel to the Ala-Too residential area took place. About 6,600 inhabitants of the area got access to natural gas.
“Today, the gasification level is 26 percent in Kyrgyzstan, and we will fulfill our obligation to bring it up to 60 percent by 2030,” Miller said.
Backbone gas pipeline
As part of the event, the Kyrgyz Prime Minister and Gazprom CEO took part in the ceremony of putting into operation the main gas pipeline, Bukhara gas-bearing region — Tashkent — Bishkek — Almaty, as well as the Sokuluk gas distribution station, via a teleconference.
Its commissioning will increase the reliability of gas supply in the north of Kyrgyzstan and increase the reliability of gas transit through the country, Miller said.
This is extremely important both for gas supply to the industrialized northern regions of Kyrgyzstan and for gas transit to the south of Kazakhstan, Miller said.
The Sokuluk gas distribution station was commissioned after the reconstruction. Its equipment was completely renewed and a 100 km gas pipeline was reconstructed.
Gazprom started reconstruction of this gas pipeline on September 1, 2016.
The existing gas pipeline was laid more than 40 years ago. Since then, the section passing through Kyrgyzstan had never been reconstructed.
The total length of the Bukhara gas-bearing region — Tashkent — Bishkek — Almaty gas pipeline is 1,580 kilometers, and the projected capacity is 12 billion cubic meters per year. There are five compressor stations along the pipeline, and the Sokuluk station is the last one on the pipeline route.
The new Sokuluk gas distribution station will ensure the supply of natural gas at a higher level to both industrial enterprises and consumers of the northern Chui oblast of Kyrgyzstan. Its planned capacity is 240 thousand cubic meters of gas per day.
AGFCS
Alexey Miller also inaugurated an automobile gas-filling compressor station (AGFCS) in Leninskoye village in the Chui oblast. This eco-refueling station is convenient for both trucks and cars.
The development of the gas engine fuel market will give a new impetus to the socio-economic development of Kyrgyzstan, Miller said.
Gazprom plans to reconstruct four AGFCSs and build two new stations by the end of 2019.
New office and school
At the opening of the new Gazprom office in Bishkek, Prime Minister Isakov said, “This is a unique building. The fact that the company has built such an office in our capital confirms that Gazprom intends to continue its fruitful work in Kyrgyzstan, and the company takes its obligations seriously.”
The opening of the office with a dispatch center will help improve the efficiency of the company. It will monitor and control the technological processes of the entire gas transmission system in Kyrgyzstan.
The Prime Minister highly appreciated the social responsibility of Gazprom, which has implemented many projects in Kyrgyzstan. “We are enjoying these benefits today. According to the company’s program, gasification of all regions of the country is planned,” Isakov said.
Later, Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev and Alexey Miller laid a capsule for the construction of a school in the southern part of Bishkek. Gazprom will finance the construction.
During the ceremony, President Atambayev advised Miller to build a Gazprom resort at Lake Issyk-Kul, for Gazprom employees both in Kyrgyzstan and Russia. There is a direct flight from Issyk-Kul to Russia’s Novosibirsk, and in order such resort pay for itself, it should work 12 months a year, Atambayev said.
