Power industry, big and small. Additional capacity is being introduced at an accelerated pace in Kyrgyzstan
To achieve complete energy independence of Kyrgyzstan in the coming years - this is the task Sadyr Japarov set for the government. The cabinet of ministers promised that they would cope. Moreover, our republic will increase its capacity so much that it will not only cover domestic needs and growing demand, but also after 2025 will be able to export kilowatt-hours abroad.
The authorities managed to bring the power sector out of the comatose state into which it had been plunging for more than 30 years since the collapse of the USSR. Over the past three years, the system has been revived and has serious development and strengthening plans, backed by reliable financial sources.
Let's look at the situation using recent examples. Just two years ago, and even last rather severe winter, we were frightened by rolling blackouts, acute shortages of electricity and constant breakdowns in networks. Various things happened, it happened that the lights were turned off quite often, and the voltage dropped, and transformers burned due to increased loads.
This year the situation is fundamentally different. Political analyst Bakyt Baketayev notes that people get used to good things quickly; they have forgotten how they warmed themselves by the fires when the thermal power plant stopped and walked around dark rooms with candles and flashlights. The expert emphasizes that the stability of the current operation of the power system is ensured by the hard work of specialists and ordinary workers, investments attracted to the country and the accelerated launch of additional capacities.
“There were no rolling blackouts and the number of accidents sharply decreased. I think everyone noticed this. I would compare the work carried out by the Ministry of Energy with drip irrigation; They, by switching feeders, supply the required amount of electricity exactly where it is needed.
I want to emphasize that it's not just the warm weather. The fact is that with Sadyr Japarov coming to power, the Ministry of Energy began to actively work and develop small-scale power generation. In 2023, a number of mini hydroelectric power plants were put into operation in the Batken, Chui, Talas, Oshka and Jalal-Abad regions. This gave us serious additional capacity. Due to this, we managed to reduce water discharges from the Toktogul hydroelectric plant,” notes political scientist Bakyt Baketayev.
This year, a number of small stations will be completed and will supply voltage to the national grid, and medium-sized hydroelectric power plants will be laid out and under construction. Take Kulanak, for example, only it will cover the electricity deficit in the country by 18%, and thanks to its dam in the Naryn region, there will be several thousand hectares more irrigated land. And dozens of such projects are now being implemented in Kyrgyzstan, from traditional hydroelectric power plants to wind and solar power plants.
Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Akylbek Zhaparov spoke about these ambitious plans and projects from the rostrum of the Second People's Kurultai: “In 2023, 5 small hydroelectric power plants of 71 MW each, 5 solar power plants, and the second hydroelectric unit of the Toktogul hydroelectric power plant were put into operation. In 2024, capacity will increase by 178 MW, in particular, 25 small hydroelectric power plants and another hydroelectric unit of the Toktogul hydroelectric power plant will be put into operation. Next year, solar power plants with a capacity of 700 MW and the hydroelectric power plant Bala-Saruu with a capacity of 5 MW will be commissioned in the Talas region.”
Today, assessing the sustainability of the energy system of Kyrgyzstan and the activities of the government, experts have no doubt that all planned projects will be implemented, and the country’s small and medium-sized plant sector will be brought to a new level.
Just the other day, the Ministry of Energy and the Chinese company China National Electric Engineering signed a memorandum on the construction of the Suusamyr - Kokomeren cascade. The project involves the launch of three hydroelectric power plants - Karakol, Kokomeren 1 and 2 with a total output of 3.3 billion kWh per year and a total capacity of 1 thousand 305 megawatts. In addition, the agreement involves the construction of a thermal power plant at the Kara-Keche field with a design capacity of 600 megawatts.
Well, the main flagship project in the plant sector for Kyrgyzstan, of course, will be Kambar-Ata-1. President Sadyr Japarov spoke about the importance of its implementation and the efforts made by the authorities to speed it up in a recent interview with Kabar news agency.
“We accurately calculated which project, under what conditions and when it will become self-sustaining. Now we operate according to the principle: measure twice, cut once. I'll give just one example. We are ready to take out a loan for the construction of Kambarata HPP-1. We will receive funds soon. If the Kambar-Ata-1 hydroelectric power plant is completed, it will pay for itself in 12-13 years. After this, it, like the Toktogul hydroelectric plant, will benefit the state for many years,” the head of state emphasized.
The Minister of Energy of Kyrgyzstan, Taalaibek Ibraev, in an interview with the media, spoke about some of the parameters of the Kambar-Ata-1 hydroelectric power plant. According to him, the capacity of the plant will exceed Toktogul and will amount to 1860 megawatts. It will generate 5.6 billion kWh of electricity annually. The volume of the Kambar-Ata hydroelectric power plant-1 reservoir will be 5.4 billion cubic meters. This is a very important point, since working in a cascade with Toktogulka will minimize idle discharges in winter. Thus, we will be able to accumulate the necessary amount of moisture for cultivating farmland in spring and summer, even during periods of low water. And this is already a question of food security, and it concerns not only us, but also our neighbors - Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Thus, talk about the possibility of ensuring the energy independence of Kyrgyzstan within a few years and starting to develop its export potential no longer seems like naive dreams. The industry is actively developing, and the horizons of its real possibilities continue to expand.