Kyrgyzstan Raises Capacity Limit for Small Hydropower Plants to 50 Megawatts

The Parliament of Kyrgyzstan, the Jogorku Kenesh, has approved legislation in its third reading to increase the maximum capacity threshold for small hydroelectric power plants from 30 to 50 megawatts. This regulatory relaxation – an effort to stimulate hydropower development – aims to increase the sector’s appeal to private capital. Previously, strict limitations deterred investors from constructing new facilities by preventing projects from achieving commercial profitability.

Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibraev indicated that the former capacity limit impeded the adoption of modern technologies. Expanding the small-scale generation segment will help meet domestic electricity demand and mitigate seasonal shortfalls at large reservoirs – infrastructure upon which the national energy system has historically depended. Power stations generating up to 50 megawatts can be effectively integrated into the national grid without posing significant risks to network stability.

Last year, the energy sector in Kyrgyzstan added eight new small hydroelectric plants with a combined capacity of 44.59 megawatts. The commissioning of these facilities increased the total electricity output from all small hydropower installations across the country to more than 400 million kilowatt-hours.