Uzbekistan Commissions New Small Hydropower Plants in Namangan Region

The Namangan region of Uzbekistan has commissioned the Kugay–1 and Kugay–2 small hydropower plants, establishing a combined installed capacity of 18 MW. The facilities were constructed on the hydraulic structures of the Great Andijan Canal by the state–owned enterprise Uzbekhydroenergo. The project reached completion in the period preceding the 35th anniversary of the Republic’s independence.

The introduction of these new generating capacities has increased the regional hydropower potential by approximately 18 percent. Prior to this development, the Namangan region operated ten hydropower plants with a total capacity of 100.5 MW. The Kugay–1 plant accounts for 12 MW of the new capacity, while the Kugay–2 plant provides 6 MW. The facilities were officially inaugurated by the Governor of Namangan, Shavkat Abdurazakov, and the Chairman of the Board of Uzbekhydroenergo, Islam Abdurakhmonov.

Both plants are part of a 54.7 million dollar initiative to create a hydropower cascade on the Great Andijan Canal. Future plans include the commissioning of a third plant, Beshkurgan. Once operational, the total capacity of the cascade will reach 23 MW, enabling the generation of 172.5 million kilowatt–hours of electricity annually.

The project was designed to utilize existing water flow without altering the hydrological regime of the waterway. The Great Andijan Canal will continue to serve its primary roles in water management and irrigation while simultaneously providing power to the turbines. The projected average annual output for the two new plants is 132.1 million kilowatt–hours, which is sufficient to provide electricity to approximately 53,000 households year–round.