BISHKEK (TCA) — The tender for construction of a coal-fired electric power plant at the Kara-Keche coal deposit in the Naryn province of Kyrgyzstan did not take place due to the absence of applications, KyrTAG news agency reported citing Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Pankratov.
In his words, the deadline for receiving applications was 15 April, but potential investors could not prepare documents saying they had not enough time for it.
The deputy prime minister said the government is likely to hold another tender, and during a month the government would announce its conditions.
Pankratov said there are 4-5 potential investors from China, Turkey, and Australia.
The government of Kyrgyzstan on March 1 announced a tender for the use and development of brown-coal deposits Kara-Keche and Min-Kush (Ak-Ulak area).
The government earlier announced plans to build a coal-fired electric power plant at the Kara-Keche coal deposit in the Naryn province.
If the Kara-Keche power plant is built, as stipulated by the National Energy Program until 2025, coal extraction will increase to three million tons per year by 2025. The Kara-Keche power plant would enable supply of electricity to the north of Kyrgyzstan, remove part of the workload from the Bishkek thermal electric power plant, and reduce imports of expensive natural gas and coal.
Kyrgyzstan’s coal reserves are estimated at 2.2 billion tons.
Today more than half of the coal mined in Kyrgyzstan is produced by the open-cut method. As to the quality of local coal, its ash content is quite high — 35%-45%.
