BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 23. Trend presents the review of major events in Kyrgyzstan's energy sector in 2024.
One of the first significant incidents of the year was the accident at Bishkek TPP, which occurred on the night of February 1 to 2. The plant, commissioned in 1961, provided heat and hot water to much of the capital. The accident left most of the city's residents without heating and hot water for almost a day. Electricity outages were also recorded in some neighborhoods. The remedial work was completed by February 5, and the heating was restored.
Kyrgyz Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibraev and Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov signed a memorandum of understanding on March 30 to build the Chaldovar thermal power plant.
“We plan to intensify work on major energy projects, such as the construction of the Chaldovar thermal power plant and the 500 MW Kara-Keche thermal power plant, which will provide our country with the necessary energy resources and create new opportunities for industrial development,” said Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers Chairman Akylbek Japarov at the time, speaking at the VI Kyrgyz-Russian Economic Forum in the Issyk-Kul region in September 2024.
In May, a memorandum was signed with the Korean company K-Water for cooperation in the field of renewable energy and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The document provides for cooperation in the development of international projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and introduce innovative technologies.
President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov participated in the opening of the Bala-Saruu small hydroelectric power plant in the Talas region on May 21. The station was built on the Kirov reservoir and is equipped with three generators with a total capacity of 25 megawatts. The HPP will annually produce 92 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, which will meet the electricity needs of about 19,000 subscribers in two districts of the region.
Moreover, Kyrgyzstan signed agreements with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on two solar power plant projects at the International Energy Investment Forum in Vienna on June 10. The possibility of locating new power plants in the Batken and Talas regions is being studied.
The agreement is a continuation of the cooperation between the government and IFC to develop a fleet of solar power plants with a total capacity of up to 500 megawatts through several project phases to increase the utilization of renewable energy potential to meet the growing electricity demand.
In the first phase of this cooperation, IFC assisted Kyrgyzstan in conducting due diligence and structuring a pilot project for a 100-150 megawatt solar power plant planned in the Kochkor district of Naryn province.
The trilateral agreement signed in June between Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan on preparations for the construction of the Kambarata HPP-1 on the Naryn River became an important event in Kyrgyzstan's energy sector. The planned capacity of the plant will be 1,860 megawatts, and annual power generation will be 5.6 billion kilowatt-hours. The parties agreed to establish a joint-stock company to manage the project, as well as to ensure the guaranteed purchase of electricity. This project will be an important step in strengthening regional energy security and one of the largest infrastructure projects in the region. Preparatory work for the construction of the hydropower plant, which has been dubbed “the project of the century,” is in its final stages. The consulting company AFRY proposed four options for the dam, and based on the conclusions of world experts, the concrete dam was chosen. AFRY will present the dam design in May 2025, after which design and other work will begin. The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Zhaparov, stated that construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2025.
The President of Kyrgyzstan inaugurated the Kok-Art small hydropower plant in the Suzak district of Jalal-Abad province on July 22. Construction of the hydropower plant began in August 2023, and the unit has a capacity of 6.8 megawatts, which will produce 25 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. The project was realized with an investment of $7.8 million, half of which came from the Uzbek-Kyrgyz Development Fund.
In addition, the Kaynama small HPP was inaugurated in July 2024 in the Toktogul district. Construction of the plant, which began in November 2023, was completed in 2024. The HPP with a capacity of 9.6 megawatts will ensure a sustainable supply to the region.
The memorandum with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry aimed at developing green energy, as well as an agreement with the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) on the implementation of a renewable energy project in Central Asia, were signed in 2024.
In addition, a roadmap for energy cooperation with Azerbaijan was signed, as well as a memorandum with the Italian company Todini Costruzioni Generali S.P.A. for the implementation of joint projects.
The modernization of the country's largest hydropower plant, the Toktogul HPP, continued. It is expected that the capacity of the plant will be increased by 240 megawatts by 2025, which will increase the stability of the energy supply.
One of the largest projects was an agreement with international companies to build two floating solar power plants on the Toktogul reservoir, each with a capacity of 612 megawatts. Construction will begin in 2025 and will be completed within four years, providing the country with a significant amount of clean energy. To implement this project, an investment agreement was signed between the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan and the companies Sonnenenergie, a.s., AB Progressio GmbH, LTI ReEnergy CleanTech Project Development UG, SES Toktogul, and SES Toktogul KG.
Furthermore, as part of the official visit of President Sadyr Zhaparov to South Korea in December 2024, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Energy of Kyrgyzstan and K-Water, which aims to jointly prepare and develop a master plan for ten new small hydropower plants as part of an international program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The second signed memorandum relates to the implementation of an investment project on the construction of a landfill gas power plant and reduction of carbon emissions at the landfill of Osh City, signed between the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan and Sejin G&E Co. Ltd.
On December 6, 2024, the Minister of Energy of Kyrgyzstan, Taalaibek Ibraev, met with the Vice President of the European Investment Bank, Kyriacos Kakouris, in Bishkek. The meeting led to the signing of the Vienna Communiqué “Unlocking the investment potential for a ‘green’ future of the Kyrgyz Republic and Central Asia,” in which the parties expressed their readiness for further cooperation within the framework of the realization of Kambarata HPP-1.
Additionally, from May 1, 2024, electricity tariffs for all end users in Kyrgyzstan were adjusted, increasing by 10.8 percent, taking into account the inflation rate.