Kyrgyzstan is reviewing plans to build a nuclear power plant in favor of increasing capacity

In January 2022, Kyrgyzstan and Russia agreed to build a low-capacity nuclear power plant based on the RITM-200N reactor plant. The Ministry of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic and Rosatom signed a cooperation agreement.

However, according to the Deputy Minister of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic Sabyrbek Sultanbekov, it is necessary to build a more powerful nuclear power plant than expected. According to him, due to problems with generation in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, they plan to develop nuclear energy there, the situation in the Kyrgyz Republic is similar.

“Kyrgyzstan is also working in this direction. Energy scarcity due to a long period of low water has led the country to import electricity. We must have an alternative that does not depend on natural conditions - nuclear energy. We are currently exploring the possibilities. Let me remind you that a memorandum has been signed with Rosatom on studying the possibility of building a low-capacity nuclear power plant: we are talking about two plants with a capacity of 50 MWt. But now we think that two nuclear power plants of 50 megawatts will not solve anything. In my opinion, the threshold should be increased. If we build, the capacity should be at least 300 megawatts,” Sputnik Kyrgyzstan recalls the words of S. Sultanbekov.

According to economist Kubat Rakhimov, the countries of the Central Asian region in the future will have to take into account the growth in energy consumption and the importance of water resources against the background of a rapidly increasing population.

“Many people may not like it, but only nuclear power plants can “untie” the water issue from the energy issue,” the expert believes. – For example, Kyrgyzstan needs electricity, Uzbekistan needs both water and electricity. In conditions when it is necessary to drain water in winter to generate electricity and store it in summer, it will be very difficult to maintain the water and energy balance.”