Page 2 – The Times Of Central Asia

12 Dec 2025

Business & Economy, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

Kyrgyzstan Advances Underground Project at Kumtor Mine

December 12, 2025
By Anton Chipegin

The state-owned Kumtor Gold Company, Kyrgyzstan’s largest gold mining asset, has announced the high efficiency of its new underground mining operations. According to the company, up to 5 grams of gold can be extracted from each ton of ore mined using the underground method. Experts believe this yield is sufficient to ensure the long-term viability of the deposit.

Although underground mining was officially launched in August 2025, actual excavation began in February. In a response to The Times of Central Asia, the company reported that geological reserves in the underground zones of Kumtor are estimated at 147 tons of gold, enabling the mine to remain operational for at least another 17 years.

“Two tunnels are currently being developed. Poor ore is being mined at the moment, and the system is reaching its design capacity. Full-scale production will be achieved in the coming years,” the company stated.

To date, over 1.5 kilometers of underground tunnels have been excavated at Kumtor. Operations continue around the clock, with special equipment transporting ore out of the mine every ten minutes. To maintain a safe working environment in the high-altitude, cold conditions, warm air is pumped into the tunnels to ensure worker comfort and safety.

Kumtor was nationalized in 2022 after nearly 30 years of operation by the Canadian company Centerra Gold. The previous operator had planned to complete mining operations in 2024 and begin land reclamation. While underground mining was explored in 2015, it was deemed unprofitable at the time, in part due to low global gold prices.

Today, gold is trading at approximately $4,280 per ounce, around $1,000 more than five years ago. This price increase has significantly improved the profitability of underground extraction, making the project economically viable.

12 Dec 2025

Environment, Tajikistan, Tajikistan Environment

Tajikistan Struggles to Fund Cleanup of Soviet-Era Uranium Waste

December 12, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

Tajikistan continues to grapple with the extensive environmental legacy of the Soviet-era uranium industry. Tens of millions of tons of radioactive waste still pose serious risks to human health and the environment. Addressing this legacy will require hundreds of millions of dollars and sustained international support.

Uranium mining in Tajikistan began in the 1940s in areas including Taboshar, Adrasman, and nearby settlements. After mining operations were shut down, the country was left with abandoned mines, underground tunnels, and extensive tailings ponds containing more than 55 million tons of radioactive waste across an area exceeding 170 hectares.

In 2023, partial rehabilitation work was completed in Taboshar, where 7.6 million tons of waste, representing 17.5 percent of the total, were remediated.

The Tajik government has agreed to continue cooperation with Russia, which is expected to allocate approximately $17 million for the reclamation of selected facilities.

However, the most hazardous areas remain unaddressed. These include early-stage Taboshar tailings ponds, underground workings, and the Degmai complex.

International consultants Wismut GmbH, WISUTEC GmbH, and GEOS estimate that restoring the Taboshar facilities will require approximately $9.5 million, while reclamation of the Degmai tailings pond is expected to cost about $27 million. All of these sites are included in the International Atomic Energy Agency master plan and have been designated as funding priorities.

Progress remains slow, largely due to limited financial resources. Despite some external support, current funding levels fall far short of what is required. To date, only 17 percent of contaminated sites have been decontaminated. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development special environmental rehabilitation account for Central Asia has yet to become fully operational.

In 2025, the government approved a national rehabilitation program covering the 2025 to 2030 period. The plan includes legislative updates, project design, implementation, and ongoing monitoring.

Preliminary estimates suggest Tajikistan will need more than $110 million by 2030 to complete its remediation objectives. Given the scale of the required investment, international financing remains essential.

Tajikistan is working to transform its uranium legacy into a manageable and transparent project, but without sustained international partnership, the challenge is unlikely to be resolved.

11 Dec 2025

Home, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Features, Business & Economy, Uzbekistan Business & Economy, Features

Uzbekistan Announces New Electricity Rationing Amid Power Shortages

December 11, 2025
By Stephen M. Bland

Uzbekistan has announced a new electricity rationing schedule as power shortages strain the national grid. The Ministry of Energy said temporary evening outages would help stabilize supply while repairs and emergency measures continue. The outages, which began this week, are concentrated during peak hours between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and are expected to last until mid-January.

Causes of the Shortfall

The crisis stems from a major failure at the Syrdarya thermal power plant, one of the country’s largest. A newly installed Mitsubishi gas turbine suffered a mechanical fault in late November, forcing the station to shut down part of its capacity. A replacement 114-ton rotor was delivered by air on December 8, and engineers expect to finish installation and testing in four weeks.

Seasonal factors have also reduced the available power supply. With winter’s shorter daylight hours, output from solar stations has dropped significantly, increasing the load on the grid. An unexpected gas supply disruption has further strained generation: Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov revealed that an accident in a neighboring country’s network cut Uzbekistan’s gas intake by about 6 million cubic meters per day. Natural gas fuels a large share of the country’s power plants, so this drop in fuel supply, combined with cloudy weather, has constrained electricity production. “Because of rain, there was neither wind nor sun,” Mirzamakhmudov said. These factors combined have left the grid struggling to meet peak demand in early December.

Peak-Hour Outages to Balance Demand

Officials have emphasized that rolling blackouts will be kept brief and targeted; each outage is not expected to last more than about two hours, and consumers will be notified in advance whenever possible. By shedding some load at peak times, the grid can avoid more dangerous unplanned breakdowns and ensure critical facilities remain powered. Residents have also been urged to use electricity sparingly and to monitor official announcements, rather than panic if an interruption occurs.

The Energy Ministry has stressed that rumors of any nationwide “blackout” are unfounded, and any power cuts will be localized and limited in scope, not a return to the wide-ranging outages seen in the past. Citizens have been cautioned against spreading unverified information on social media and encouraged to rely on updates from authorities.

Winter Energy Challenges and Reforms

Winter months have historically tested Uzbekistan’s energy infrastructure. In previous years, electricity deficits forced scheduled outages – commonly known as rolling blackouts – across the country. However, officials note that the situation has improved markedly due to new power projects and efficiency measures. According to Energy Ministry data, the volume of electricity consumption that had to be curtailed through such restrictions fell from about 4 billion kWh in 2013 to just 357 million kWh in 2024. Even during the Central Asian energy crisis of winter 2022, Uzbekistan’s forced power cuts totaled around 2 billion kWh, a figure that has since sharply declined as new capacity comes online.

Uzbekistan has been racing to expand its electricity generation to meet growing demand and reduce chronic winter shortages. The government has partnered with international firms to build modern gas-fired plants and large renewable energy projects. As a result, wind and solar power output have surged. The country’s solar and wind farms generated a record 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity this year, saving an estimated 2.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas that would otherwise have been burned for power. Still, these gains can be hampered by seasonal conditions: on cold, overcast days, when new solar panels and wind turbines yield less energy. By announcing targeted evening rationing now, the authorities hope to manage the current shortfall in a controlled way and avoid a repeat of the widespread outages that have plagued past winters.

11 Dec 2025

Home, Kyrgyzstan Lead Story, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan International Affairs, Uzbekistan Lead Story, Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan International Affairs, International Affairs, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan International Affairs, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Features, Uzbekistan International Affairs, Kazakhstan Featurees

The Silk Visa Deadlock: The Long Road to a Borderless Central Asia

December 11, 2025
By Times of Central Asia

The year 2025 will likely be remembered as a milestone in Central Asian diplomacy. Regional leaders signed landmark agreements on water and energy cooperation and launched major investment projects. At high-level meetings, Central Asian presidents emphasized a new phase of deeper cooperation and greater unity, highlighting strategic partnership and shared development goals.

But at ground level, at border crossings such as Korday between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, or the congested diversion routes replacing the closed Zhibek Zholy checkpoint, the picture is far less seamless. Long queues, heightened scrutiny, and bureaucratic delays remain the norm.

While political rhetoric celebrates unity, the reality on the ground tells a different story. The region’s physical borders remain tightly controlled. A key symbol of unrealized integration is the stalled “Silk Visa” project, a proposed Central Asian version of the Schengen visa that would allow tourists to travel freely across the region. The project has made little headway, with experts suggesting that, beyond technical issues, deeper concerns, including economic disparities and security sensitivities, have played a role.

Silk Visa: A Stalled Vision

Launched in 2018 by Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the Silk Visa was envisioned as a game-changer for regional tourism and mobility. Under the scheme, tourists with a visa to one participating country could move freely across Central Asia, from Almaty to Samarkand and Bishkek.

Seven years on, the project has yet to materialize. Official explanations point to the difficulty of integrating databases on “undesirable persons.” But as Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged earlier this year, the delay stems from the need to harmonize security services and create a unified system. Experts also cite diverging visa policies and resistance from national security agencies unwilling to share sensitive data. As long as each country insists on determining independently whom to admit or blacklist, the Silk Visa will remain more aspiration than policy.

Economic Imbalance: The Silent Barrier

The most significant, albeit rarely acknowledged, hurdle to regional openness is economic inequality. Kazakhstan’s GDP per capita, at over $14,000, is significantly higher than that of Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan, which hover around $2,500-3,000. This disparity feeds fears in Astana that full border liberalization would trigger a wave of low-skilled labor migration, putting strain on Kazakhstan’s urban infrastructure and labor market.

While Kazakhstan is eager to export goods, services, and capital across Central Asia, it remains reluctant to import unemployment or social tension. Migration pressure is already high: according to Uzbekistan’s Migration Agency, the number of Uzbek workers in Kazakhstan reached 322,700 in early 2025. Removing border controls entirely could exacerbate this trend, overwhelming already stretched public services.

Security Concerns and Regional Tensions

The geopolitical landscape further complicates the dream of borderless travel. A truly open regional system would require a strong, unified external border, something unattainable given Afghanistan’s proximity.

The persistent threats of drug trafficking and extremist infiltration compel Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to maintain tight border controls. Kazakhstan, while geographically removed, remains cautious about loosening controls along its southern frontier. Moreover, despite recent agreements on delimiting the Kyrgyz–Tajik border, tensions in the area remain unresolved, underscoring the fragility of regional trust, making the creation of a unified security space across all five countries a distant prospect.

The war in Ukraine has further complicated the region’s geopolitical calculus. Russia remains Central Asia’s primary destination for its migrant labor, but the conflict has strained Moscow’s economic capacity and pushed regional governments to diversify partnerships. This uncertainty reinforces risk-averse security policies, making leaders even less willing to consider fully open borders.

Reality Check: Trade Over Tourism

Perhaps the most tangible measure of regional integration is logistics. Yet even this is underwhelming. The Korday (Ak Zhol) crossing remains a choke point for trade between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Despite digital queueing systems, businesses continue to report delays, and truck drivers face multi-day traffic jams. These recurring trade bottlenecks indicate that borders are still used as tools of economic leverage, undermining promises of seamless transit.

Considering all factors, the emergence of a full-fledged ‘Central Asian Schengen’ in the foreseeable future appears unlikely. The combination of security risks and economic imbalance makes open borders politically unpalatable. Instead, the region may follow a model akin to “Two-speed Europe,” with elite-driven economic integration, such as simplified cargo transit and digital customs systems, advancing faster than broader public mobility. For most citizens, however, the dream of borderless Central Asia will remain just that: a dream.

11 Dec 2025

Central Asia, Home, Life & Culture, Kazakhstan Life & Culture, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Home

Kazakhstan Launches First Domestic Green Hydrogen Production Station

December 11, 2025
By Sergey Kwan

Kazakhstan has unveiled its first fully integrated green hydrogen production station, a significant milestone in the country’s transition toward renewable energy and industrial innovation. The project, spearheaded by the Renewable Energy Laboratory at Nazarbayev University in Astana, is the first of its kind in Kazakhstan to receive a national patent, according to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

Powered entirely by solar and wind energy, the pilot facility uses innovative, locally developed catalysts to convert renewable electricity into hydrogen through electrolytic water splitting. The hydrogen is then stored and can be used as fuel for motor vehicles or standalone generators. Currently, the laboratory-scale station is capable of filling a six-cubic-meter hydrogen cylinder in three hours.

“This is a significant step toward the practical implementation of hydrogen technologies in Kazakhstan. What began as laboratory prototypes has evolved into a functional, outdoor industrial-scale system,” said Professor Nurshat Nurazhi, head of the Renewable Energy Laboratory.

The project was developed in collaboration with Zhejiang H2-Bank Technology Co., Ltd. of China. “Partnership with an industrial leader ensured scalability and compliance with international standards for hydrogen production and safety,” noted Dr. Yerbolat Magazov, head of the hydrogen production team. “This system demonstrates the potential of domestic innovation in clean energy and sets a milestone for Kazakhstan’s scientific community.”

The Kazakh government has identified hydrogen as a strategic component of its low-carbon transition. The Concept for the Development of Hydrogen Energy through 2030, approved in 2024, outlines hydrogen’s critical role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and diversifying the national energy mix.

11 Dec 2025

Central Asia, Home, Kyrgyzstan, Business & Economy, Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy, Kyrgyzstan Home

South Korean Firm Invests $12 Million in Kyrgyz Meat Processing Facility

December 11, 2025
By Sergey Kwan

A major South Korean investment is set to strengthen Kyrgyzstan’s agricultural sector with the launch of a $12 million agro-industrial complex. A groundbreaking ceremony held on December 10 in the village of Baytik, Chui region, marked the start of construction on the project, a joint venture between the state-owned Kyrgyz Agroholding JSC and South Korea’s DOD Company.

According to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, the facility will feature the country’s first shock-freezing unit capable of blast-freezing meat to -35°C. This technology helps preserve the natural structure of the meat, minimizes moisture and weight loss, and extends shelf life without additives, meeting export standards required by high-end markets such as South Korea and Japan.

The project will also include a feedlot for 5,000 head of cattle, ensuring a reliable and consistent supply chain for the processing plant.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Bakyt Torobaev said the investment reflects strong trust from Korean partners and represents a major step in integrating Kyrgyz meat production into global value chains.

Torobaev noted that Kyrgyz Agroholding, established to develop agro-industrial clusters and boost exports, plans to launch a pilot “Meat Cluster” project in 2026 in the Chui-Bishkek economic zone. Ten cluster associations will receive financing at 3% interest to purchase livestock, feed, cold-chain storage systems, packaging equipment, refrigerated trucks, and working capital.

He also highlighted that, for the first time since independence, the Kyrgyz Armed Forces are now fully supplied with domestically produced food, an indicator of the growing capacity and resilience of the national agricultural sector.