Kyrgyzstan is launching a pilot project to construct a solar power plant through a public-private partnership (PPP). The project is supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which has prepared technical, legal, financial, and environmental assessments.
The project’s implementation was discussed during a meeting in Washington, DC between Kyrgyz Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibrayev and John Gandolfo, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at the IFC.
A key feature of the project is the selection of an investor through an open tender based on the lowest electricity tariff bid. Kyrgyzstan has agreed to a tariff proposed by China Power of 4.1 cents per kWh.
The power plant will be built in the Naryn region. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with electricity generation expected to start in 2027.
Ibrayev noted that the project introduces new standards to Kyrgyzstan’s energy sector and will serve as an example of attracting investment through transparent and competitive mechanisms.
Gandolfo expressed the World Bank’s support for Kyrgyzstan’s energy sector reforms.
The meeting also addressed the second phase of the project, which envisages the construction of additional solar power plants in the Talas and Batken regions.
As part of efforts to reduce chronic power shortages, Kyrgyzstan has accelerated the development of renewable energy. In December 2025, the country inaugurated its first solar power plant in the Chui region, approximately 100 kilometers east of Bishkek. The 100-megawatt facility was constructed with $56 million in Chinese investment and is expected to generate around 210 million kWh of clean electricity annually.
