On August 2, the volume of water in the reservoir of Kyrgyzstan’s Toktogul hydroelectric power plant reached 11.922 billion cubic meters, which according to the plant’s operator Electric Stations OJSC, is almost one billion cubic meters more than that recorded on August 1, 2023.
Located on the Naryn River, which feeds the Syr Darya River that flows to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Toktogul HPP is the largest power plant in Kyrgyzstan and generates some 40% of the country’s electricity.
The Toktogul reservoir currently receives 840 cubic meters of water per second and releases 475 cubic meters per second. The released water is used to generate electricity and then flows to downstream countries where it is used for irrigation.
The reservoir has a maximum capacity of 19.5 billion cubic meters, with an average volume is 17.3 billion cubic meters, and the “dead” level at which the power plant would stop operating is 5.5 billion cubic meters.
As reported by 24.kg news agency, Electric Stations OJSC expects the volume of water in the Toktogul reservoir to reach 12.5 billion cubic meters at the beginning of the next heating season (October 1, 2024) and at the end of 2024/25 season, fall to around 7.9 billion cubic meters.
Toktogul HPP comprises four hydroelectric units with a total generating capacity of 1320 MW and on completion of the modernization of hydroelectric unit #1, later this year, the capacity will increase by 60 MW and reach 1380 MW.
In recent years, because Kyrgyzstan has been unable to produce enough electricity to meet the country’s growing demand, electricity has been imported from neighbouring states.
