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Donor Delegation Visits Kyrgyzstan to Assess Progress on Kambarata-1 HPP

As reported by the Kyrgyz Ministry of Energy, on October 7-11 Kyrgyzstan received a delegation from the Donor Coordination Committee for the construction of the flagship Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant (HPP) comprising representatives of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the European Union, the European Investment Bank, the United States Agency for International Development, and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. The Committee, established at the Kyrgyz Republic International Energy Investment Forum, in Vienna on June 10, 2024, comprises major international financial institutions and development partners, including the World Bank, the OPEC Fund, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The Kambarata-1 HPP, with a projected capacity of 1,860 megawatts and an average annual generation of 5.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, is to be constructed at preliminary cost exceeding $4 billion in the upper reaches of the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan. Once completed, the largest hydropower plant in Kyrgyzstan is expected to end the country’s electricity shortages. In addition, the ambitious project, jointly implemented with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, aims to strengthen cooperation within Central Asia in water and energy resource management. During their visit, delegates reviewed progress on the Kambarata-1 HPP and in addition, met Kyrgyz Minister of Energy Taalaibek Ibrayev and representatives of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to discuss and establish a mechanism for regular consultations and data exchange to ensure effective cooperation on the project. Last month, Minister Ibrayev reported significant progress on the development of the HPP construction and said that all preparatory stages will be completed by next May. Early in September, Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers and the World Bank organized a roundtable on the selection of a dam for the Kambarata-1 HPP. The Swiss engineering company AFRY proposed various options for the project, and based on the type of dam chosen, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Energy stated that a feasibility study would be prepared by May 2025.

Energy Power generation Electricity supply HPP Energy Security

Despite High Water Levels in Kyrgyzstan’s Toktogul Reservoir, Electricity Shortages Persist

Despite an increase in water levels at Kyrgyzstan’s Toktogul hydroelectric power plant (HPP) reservoir this year, the country continues to face electricity shortages, Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibrayev said in an interview with Birinchi Radio. Located on the Naryn River, the Toktogul HPP is Kyrgyzstan’s largest power plant, providing around 40% of the country’s electricity. As of October 1, 2024, the water volume in the Toktogul reservoir reached 13.033 billion cubic meters, approximately 1.3 billion cubic meters more than the previous year. The reservoir currently receives 365 cubic meters of water per second while releasing 284 cubic meters per second for power generation. "Despite the increased water levels in 2024, we are still facing an electricity deficit of about 3.9 billion kilowatt-hours," Minister Ibrayev stated. To address the deficit, Kyrgyzstan is working to expand its energy capacity by building small and large hydroelectric plants. "In the past, small hydroelectric plants produced around 200-300 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This figure has now increased to 750 million kilowatt-hours," Ibrayev explained. He also noted that the country’s electricity consumption has risen by 400 million kilowatt-hours this year, driven by the launch of new industrial enterprises. According to the National Statistics Committee, Kyrgyzstan generated 13.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2023, with hydropower plants accounting for approximately 87% of total electricity production. In 2023, Kyrgyzstan met 80% of its electricity demand, which totalled 17.2 billion kilowatt-hours. The remaining 20%, or 3.4 billion kilowatt-hours, was imported. To help reduce reliance on imports, an agreement was signed between Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan in May 2023 for the supply of 1.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from Turkmenistan, starting on January 1, 2025.

Rosatom Considering Constructing Nuclear Power Plant in Northern Kyrgyzstan

Representatives of the Russian company Rosatom announced at a briefing that a low-capacity nuclear power plant may be built in Kyrgyzstan's northern Chui region. According to them, a preliminary feasibility study has already been developed. According to Rosatom, the company's specialists have studied the seismic potential of southern Kyrgyzstan and concluded that there are many faults in the earth's crust. This fact is reason enough not to build the plant in the south of the country. In contrast, Kyrgyzstan's north is less prone to seismic fluctuations. “The most suitable location for this project is the northern Chui oblast [region], where seismicity is the lowest. But we have not been able to name a specific site so far. A detailed study is needed. There are places in Kyrgyzstan where a nuclear power plant can be built, but not many,” said Dmitry Konstantinov, general director of Rosatom's Russian representative office in Kyrgyzstan. He said many parameters must be considered when choosing a construction site. These include seismic activity, remoteness from population centers, power lines, and a water source needed to cool the plant. Rosatom stated that the design for the small nuclear power plant potentially being built in Kyrgyzstan was developed by adapting shipboard small-power technology currently used in ships. Each unit at the plant would have a capacity of 55 MW, with the possibility of installing up to six units, allowing the plant’s total capacity to reach 300 MW. For comparison, by 2025, Kyrgyz authorities aim to achieve a capacity of 400 MW (excluding the nuclear plant) through the completion of large hydroelectric power projects. Two years ago, a memorandum on constructing a low-capacity nuclear power plant was signed between Bishkek and Moscow. Since then, the Russian company has been working on a feasibility study and studying land plots for the plant's construction. According to the head of the representative office, serious discussions are continuing with the republic's authorities. “The decision to build a nuclear power plant in Kyrgyzstan will be made by the people together with the government. And we, for our part, will provide all the necessary information and technology to make it objective. We will inform the population about our technologies and decisions so that they feel safe,” emphasized Konstantinov. Rosatom signed a memorandum with Uzbek authorities on constructing a small nuclear power plant earlier this year. According to the Russian company, construction has already begun, and the first power unit may operate in 2029. On October 6, Kazakhstan will hold a popular referendum on constructing a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan. Among the most likely candidates for construction are companies from Russia, China, South Korea, and France.

Transcaspian Energy Route Hydro power Solar Energy Asian Infrastructural Investment Bank renewable energy sources Power generation Green Energy

Mirziyoyev Proposes Green Energy Development Program for Central Asia

On September 25-26, the annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the Asian Infrastructural Investment Bank (AIIB) was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The ninth meeting of the Board was devoted to the theme “Creating Sustainable Infrastructure for All.” Current issues on the agenda of the global economy were considered, and strategic programs and plans for infrastructure development in Asia and other regions of the world were discussed. About 2,000 representatives from more than 100 countries participated in the summit. Uzbekistan became a member of AIIB in November 2016, and in recent years, it has become one of the bank's biggest beneficiaries. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev gave a speech on the first day of the meeting. “The complex geopolitical situation, global economic instability, food and energy resources scarcity, poverty, and environmental problems are becoming increasingly acute. For instance, the average global temperature is projected to rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2040; however, we are concerned that, based on current trends, this could happen as early as 2030. A quarter of the world’s population lacks clean drinking water. As climate change accelerates, food shortages have become a global threat. As a result, about 800 million people in the world live in extreme poverty,” Mirziyoyev said. Mirziyoyev noted that the poverty rate in Uzbekistan has been reduced from 23% to 11%. This year, the aim is to reduce this indicator to 9%, and by 2030, it will be halved. Furthermore, in the last eight years, the enrollment of children in preschool education has increased from 27% to 74%, and higher education has increased from 9% to 38%. It plans to invest $2 billion to open 100 new schools of the most advanced standards in all cities and villages yearly. Another issue that Mirziyoyev paid attention to is logistics, interruptions in the product supply chain, and the increase in the price of raw materials and consumer goods. The head of state noted that all this will sharply increase the load on the existing infrastructure and will be a significant obstacle to global economic development. According to experts, by 2030, the world will need $15 trillion of investment for new infrastructure. Also, foreign investments have decreased by 10% over the past two years, and the value of financial resources globally has almost doubled. Mirziyoyev said that projects worth $200 million for developing medium-sized cities and $130 million for improving infrastructure in rural areas are launched in cooperation with the AIIB. To develop the “green” economy, it is aimed to reach 40% of “green” energy sources by 2030. In the coming years, another 18 gigawatts of solar and wind power, 3 gigawatts of hydropower plants, 5 gigawatts of energy storage capacity, and $5 billion worth of power grids will be implemented. “I would like to note that neighboring countries have also started major projects on renewable energy. We are taking great steps to make Central Asia, a rich renewable energy source, a major exporter of ‘green’ energy into world energy markets in the coming years....

Tajikistan Continues Electricity Supply to Uzbekistan and Afghanistan

It is being reported that Tajikistan delivered more than $82.3 million worth of electricity to neighboring countries from January to August of this year. The export of electricity is $2.8 million (3.3%) less than in the same period of 2023. During this period, Tajikistan's electricity production amounted to about 15.4 billion kilowatt-hours, of which about 1 billion kilowatt-hours (6.5% of the total production) were exported. More than 80% of electricity exports go to Afghanistan, and the remaining 20% to Uzbekistan. Tajikistan signed an agreement on the export of electricity for 2024 with these two countries. Electricity exports to Uzbekistan are carried out only in the summer, and supplies to Afghanistan will continue in the autumn-winter season, but in small volumes — “exclusively for the preservation of infrastructure.” For information, a memorandum of understanding has been signed between Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, providing electricity supply produced by the Rogun hydropower plant until 2032. Agreements on the supply of electricity to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are one condition for external financing of the Rogun project. The Times of Central Asia has reported that when the Rogun hydropower plant in Tajikistan reaches full capacity, about 70% of the electricity produced will be exported to other Central Asian countries.

Saudi Fund Contributes $100 Million Towards Rogun Hydropower Plant in Tajikistan

The Saudi Development Fund has allocated $100 million to finance the completion of the Rogun hydropower plant in Tajikistan. This was announced by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Republic of Tajikistan, Walid bin Abdulrahman Al-Rashidan, at a press conference dedicated to the 94th anniversary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's founding. “This project is strategically important for the country, as it will ensure energy security and sustainable economic growth. The Rogun HPP is a key element of Tajikistan's energy infrastructure; it will significantly increase electricity production and strengthen its position regionally,” Al-Rashidan said. Saudi Arabia’s financial support strengthens bilateral cooperation in energy and economic relations. The estimated cost of completing the construction of the Rogun HPP is $6.4 billion. Once it reaches full capacity, about 70% of the electricity generated will be exported to other Central Asian countries. According to a report by the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD), the financing of the Rogun HPP is one of the main risks for Tajikistan’s budget and debt sustainability. A possible increase in the cost of hydropower construction could reduce funding for other essential infrastructure projects and social spending. Analysts emphasize that “in the face of uncertainty regarding funding sources, starting in 2025, the government of Tajikistan may have additional needs for budgetary support from international financial organizations.”