Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Nov. 13 / Trend D.Azizov /
Uzbekistan plans to build nine small hydropower plants worth $ 255.7 million in 2010-2014, a management source at the Uzbekenergo State Joint Stock Company told Trend today.
Uzbekenergo will likely build small- and medium-sized hydropower plants with a total capacity of 323.6 MW on the country's natural watercourses to increase renewable energy's share in the country's energy balance.
The company has also established four hydropower plants with a total capacity of 203.6 MW. The preliminary estimated cost of the plants is $227.8 million in the Tashkent region and $148.9 million in the Surkhandar province.
Uzbekistan is completing the construction of two small hydropower plants - Akhangaran and Andizhan - worth $16.9 million. The Andijan Hydropower Plant under the Andijan Reservoir will produce 171.1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and the Akhangaran hydropower plants under the Akhangaran Reservoir - 66.5 million kilowatt-hours per year. The Chinese CNEEC is constructing the plants.
The country plans to construct the small Camelot Hydropower Plant under the Chirchik-Bozsu Tract, worth about $11.3 million with an annual design capacity of eight megawatts by late 2012. The plant will allow 35 million kilowatt-hours of electricity to be produced per year, which is equal to fuel savings of 11 million cubic meters of natural gas per year.
Uzbekenergo will invest $3.3 million from its own funds in the construction of the hydropower plant and $8 million from loans.
The Chirchik-Bozsu Hydropower Plant Cascade consists of 19 hydropower plants in the middle and lower reaches of the Chirchik River. The cascade is conditionally divided into two parts - the Mid-Chirchik Cascade (three hydropower plants, 850 MW) and Chirchik-Bozsu Tract (16 hydropower plants, 350 MW).
According to expert estimates, Uzbekistan has dozens of reservoirs, irrigation canals and mountain rivers where the country can build about 141 power plants with a total capacity of 1,180 megawatts and an annual power production of 4.6 billion kilowatt-hours.
According to Uzbekenergo, the current capacity of Uzbek hydropower plants is 12.4 million kilowatt-hours, including 12 million kilowatt-hours in the framework of Uzbekenergo. The share of departmental hydropower plants does not exceed three percent (362.5 MW).
The company's 10 thermal power plants with an installed capacity of 10.6 million kilowatt-hours produce 90 percent of the total volume. The company's 29 hydropower plants with an installed capacity of 1.4 million kilowatts, are mainly grouped into hydroelectric power station cascades and work on the watercourse.
In 2008, Uzbekistan increased power production by 2.3 percent to 50.1 billion kilowatt-hours compared to 2007.
In January to September 2009, power production decreased by 0.8 percent to 36,816 billion kilowatt-hours compared to the same period of 2008.
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