The government of the Kyrgyz Republic told about the difference in electricity prices in the CIS

The government of the Kyrgyz Republic told about the difference in electricity prices in the CIS.

Today, the cost of electricity produced in the Kyrgyz Republic is the lowest in the CIS countries due to their low production costs and their social orientation, the press service writes.

"The reason is the production of almost all electricity from hydroelectric power plants, which is the cheapest form of electricity generation," the government said.

For reference: In 2019, the cost of electricity generation by Electric Power Stations OJSC amounted to 51 tyin per 1 kWh, including: at CHPP - 358 tyin per 1 kWh.

In neighboring and other CIS countries, the structure of electricity generation sources is different, which directly affects the cost of electricity production. Basically, in most of the CIS countries, the largest share of generation is represented by thermal power plants.

With such a structure, electricity generation requires significant expenses for the purchase of fuel, which affects the rise in cost of production and an increase in electricity tariffs.

Information on electricity tariffs for the population in the CIS countries, obtained from open sources.

As of 19.09.2020 in USD

In the Russian Federation, electricity is generated at thermal, hydro and nuclear power plants, while the structure is in favor of thermal power plants, which is much more expensive than hydropower. At the same time, thermal power plants operating in the unified power system of the Russian Federation represent 67.7% of the total capacity of power plants of the UPS of the Russian Federation. Hydropower plants in Russia account for 20% of the installed capacity of the Russian electric power industry, while nuclear power accounts for 12% of the installed capacity.

Therefore, for the population, tariffs in Russia are on average $0.1 or 7-8 soms per 1 kWh, while in Kyrgyzstan - $0.01 or 0.77 soms per 1 kWh.

There are two thermal power plants in Armenia, one nuclear power plant unit and a cascade of power plants. In the total volume of electricity generation, nuclear power plants generate 40% of all electricity, thermal power plants 30% and only 30% hydroelectric power plants. In this case, we can talk about the high cost of electricity production. Tariffs in Armenia for the population are on average $ 0.08 or 5-6 soms per 1 kWh, the report says.

In Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, 87% of all electricity is produced at thermal power plants, and hydropower resources meet only about 10% of the country’s demand. As a result, there are significant tariffs for electricity, which for the population range from 0.06 to $0.08 or up to 6 soms per 1 kWh.

Thermal power plants form the basis of the power industry in Belarus. They generate 99.9% of all electricity. Natural gas and heating oil are used as fuel. Accordingly, electricity tariffs for the population reach $0.1 or up to 7.9 soms per 1 kWh.

Today, the state continues to explore additional opportunities for cooperation with potential investors to increase power generating  capacity, the message says.