Kyrgyzstan plans to launch more than 50 new hydropower plants in the coming years
A large-scale program for the development of the energy sector is being implemented in Kyrgyzstan, aimed at overcoming the shortage of electricity and achieving energy independence. According to the head of the information policy service of the Presidential Administration, Dayyrbek Orunbekov, for decades the country has relied on hydroelectric power plants built during the Soviet period, about 60-70 years ago. Now this infrastructure has stopped coping with the growing needs and requires updating.
The key project in the country’s new energy strategy should be the construction of the Kambar-Ata-1 hydroelectric power station with a capacity of 1,860 MW. It is expected that after the full commissioning of the facility, Kyrgyzstan will not only be able to fully meet domestic needs, but also turn into an electricity exporting country. Along with this flagship project, small and medium-sized hydroelectric power plants are being actively built throughout the republic.
Already in 2024, eight new HPPs were commissioned in different regions of the country, including the Bala-Saruu HPP with a capacity of 25 MW in Talas region and a number of smaller stations, such as the Kaynama HPP and the Kok-Art HPP in Jalal-Abad region. The total capacity of the new facilities launched this year amounted to 48.84 MW. The work continued this year with the launch of five hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of 41.29 MW, including the Kara-Kol hydroelectric power station for 18 MW.
In parallel with the construction of new facilities, a large-scale reconstruction of existing large hydroelectric power plants is being carried out. 240 MW of power was added at the Toktogul HPP after the upgrade of four units. As a result of the modernization, 9 MW has already been added to the Uch-Korgon HPP, and upon completion of all work, the increase will amount to 36 MW. A project is also being implemented to launch a second unit at the Kambar-Ata-2 HPP with a capacity of 120 MW and work is underway to upgrade the At-Bashinskaya and Lebedinovskaya HPPs.
Plans for the medium term envisage further capacity building. In 2026, it is planned to build 25 small hydroelectric power stations, among which the Kulanak hydroelectric power station for 100 MW and the Orto-Tokoyskaya hydroelectric power station for 21 MW stand out. The total increase in capacity in 2026 should be 286.21 MW. In 2027, 14 more hydroelectric power plants are expected to be commissioned, including Papanskaya and Zherui HPPs, which will add 172.88 MW to the power grid. In the period from 2028 to 2030, it is planned to launch several more stations with a total capacity of 44.7 MW.
Original (in Russian): Кыргызстан планирует запустить более 50 новых ГЭС в ближайшие годы
