Kambar-Ata-1: Kyrgyzstan invites OPEC and Kuwait funds to the project
Kyrgyzstan is actively looking for international partners to finance its flagship energy project – the construction of the Kambar-Ata HPP-1. The First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Daniyar Amangeldiev, made a corresponding proposal to the OPEC Fund for International Development and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. The talks took place in Algeria, where Amangeldiyev took part in the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Islamic Development Bank, meeting with the Director General of the Federal Development Fund Abdulhamid Alkhalif and the Director of the Operations Department of the Kuwait Fund Abdullah Al-Musaybih.
During the meetings, Daniyar Amangeldiyev presented the Kambar-Ata HPP-1 as a project of strategic importance capable of radically strengthening the energy security not only of Kyrgyzstan, but also of the entire Central Asian region. Particular attention was paid to the contribution of the future hydroelectric power plant to the development of a “green” economy through the generation of clean, renewable energy. Kyrgyzstan considers the FRO and the Kuwait Fund as important partners in achieving its national priorities.
The Kyrgyz side expressed its full readiness to provide potential investors with all the necessary documentation and assist in conducting a detailed evaluation of the project. Daniyar Amangeldiyev also informed the representatives of the funds about the planned deadlines for completing the feasibility study (feasibility study) and environmental impact assessment (EIA) for Kambar-Ata HPP-1. At the same time, an intergovernmental agreement on the joint implementation of this strategic project with neighboring Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is being prepared. The interest of Kyrgyzstan in attracting the rich experience of the Federal Defense Agency and the Kuwait Fund accumulated during the implementation of similar large infrastructure facilities around the world was particularly emphasized.
Kambar-Ata HPP-1 promises to become one of the largest energy facilities in the region. According to the Ministry of Energy of Kyrgyzstan, the main construction works are scheduled for 2027, and the full commissioning of the hydroelectric power station is expected by 2035. The design installed capacity will be an impressive 1,860 MW, which will generate about 5.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This will ensure an increase in electricity generation in the country by about a third of the current level. Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibrayev reported in January 2025 that the total cost of the project is estimated at 3.5 billion US dollars. The hydroelectric dam will be built on the Naryn River, 8 kilometers upstream from the existing Kambar-Ata HPP-2 and 17 kilometers from the beginning of the Toktogul reservoir.
Active preparatory work is already underway at the site of the future construction, including the creation of the necessary infrastructure: roads, a bridge, an electric substation, a work camp, as well as the laying of a tunnel and power transmission lines. In addition to the energy megaproject, other promising areas of cooperation were also discussed at the meetings in Algeria, in particular, the implementation of state programs of Kyrgyzstan in the areas of providing the population with affordable housing and the development of water supply systems.
Following the talks, the parties expressed mutual interest in deepening the partnership and agreed to hold additional consultations at the expert level for a detailed study of the proposed initiatives. This step opens up new prospects for attracting significant investments in key sectors of the Kyrgyz economy.
