Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Aug.24 / Trend, D.Azizov /
Uzbekistan put into operation a small hydro power plant "Gissarak" in the Kashkadarya region (south of Uzbekistan) with capacity of 45 megawatts, Uzvodenergo (included in the structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources), which is the customer of construction, said.
The HPP "Gissarak" built on the Aksu River, which supplies Gissar reservoir, will produce about 86.5 million kWh annually.
The HPP's project cost is about $ 30 million. Financing of the construction was carried out at the Uzvodenergo's own expense.
Station's main equipment provider is the Ukrainian "Soj Invest".
The new station will operate primarily in the period of vegetation of cereals and other crops, producing about one million kilowatt-hours of electricity per day.
In 2010-2014, Uzbekistan plans to build nine small hydropower plants on the country's natural watercourses with total capacity of 323.6 megawatt, the total preliminary cost of $255.7 million.
By 2012, it is planned to build small hydropower plant "Kamolot" at the Chirchik-Bozsu highway (includes in the system Chirchik-Bozsu Cascade) worth about $11.3 million and an annual design capacity of 8 megawatt. Construction of new hydro power plant will produce annually 35 million kWh of electricity, which is equivalent to fuel savings in the amount of 11 million cubic meters of natural gas per year.
Specialists estimate that Uzbekistan has a dozen of reservoirs, irrigation canals and mountain rivers where it can build 141 hydroelectric power stations with total capacity of 1800 megawatts and annual power engineering of 4.6 billion kwh.
So far, six stations with total capacity of 152.2 MW have been put into operation.
At present, Uzbekistan power system includes 42 power plants with total capacity of 123,580 megawatt. The bulk of electricity - about 90 percent is produced by 10 thermal power plants with total installed capacity 10.6 million kilowatt.
According to the Republic's State Statistics Committee, in 2009 Uzbekistan reduced production of electricity by 0.3 percent compared to 2008 - to 49.954 billion kWh. In January - June 2010 electricity production in Uzbekistan increased by 3.1 percent compared to the same period of 2009 - to 25.945 billion kWh.
