BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 12. The modernization of Kyrgyzstan's Uch-Kurgan Hydropower Plant will be completed by the end of 2026, increasing its installed capacity from 198 up to 216 MW.
This was announced in a statement by the press service of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Energy on August 12.
According to the ministry, the modernization of hydroelectric units No. 1 and No. 2 is currently underway and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The project began in 2024. Hydro unit No. 4 has already been fully replaced, increasing its capacity by 9 MW, while the modernization of hydro unit No. 3 has also been completed, adding another 9 MW.
Once work on units No. 1 and No. 2 is completed, all four hydro units of the Uch-Kurgan HPP will have been modernized, the report says. The modernization is expected to improve the reliability and efficiency of the plant, replace outdated equipment and extend its service life.
The Uch-Kurgan HPP is located in Kyrgyzstan's Jalal-Abad region on the Naryn River. The plant was commissioned in 1961-1962. The current reconstruction is the first major modernization of the plant's main equipment in more than 60 years of operation, according to the ministry.
Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan's hydropower sector accounts for the large majority of the country's electricity generation capacity, with the Naryn River cascade forming the backbone of the system. The six hydropower plants in the cascade have a combined installed capacity of about 2,870 MW and account for around 92% of Kyrgyzstan's hydropower supply. The Uch-Kurgan HPP is the oldest plant in the cascade and has been operating since the early 1960s.
The modernization of Uch-Kurgan is part of Kyrgyzstan's broader effort to renew existing generation infrastructure alongside the development of new hydropower projects. The Asian Development Bank-backed project includes the replacement of aging electromechanical equipment and measures to improve the plant's operational reliability. The upgraded facility is also expected to provide additional clean electricity for domestic consumption and potentially for exports to neighboring Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
