Kyrgyzstan Begins Construction of $3 Billion Kazarman Hydropower Cascade

Construction has commenced on the Kazarman hydropower cascade in the Jalal-Abad region of Kyrgyzstan. The new hydroelectric complex, located in the Toguz-Toro district, is estimated to cost approximately $3 billion. President Sadyr Japarov participated in the official capsule-laying ceremony at the site of the future stations.

The energy complex will integrate three hydroelectric power plants – Ala-Buga, Kara-Bulun-1, and Kara-Bulun-2. These facilities will have a combined installed capacity of 912 megawatts, enabling the generation of more than 3.75 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Orto Asia Investment Holding, in partnership with a group of Turkish investors, is responsible for the financing and construction of the complex. The stations are scheduled to be fully commissioned by 2031.

Over the last five years, Kyrgyzstan has commissioned approximately 50 small and medium-sized hydroelectric plants, with an equal number currently under construction. Active projects include the Sary-Tash and Kapchygay small power plants, as well as the Chatkal hydropower cascade, which together will add 145 megawatts to the national grid. Parallel initiatives are also being developed in solar and wind power generation.

Large-scale hydroelectric facilities remain the central pillar of the national energy strategy. In addition to the Kazarman project, work continues on the Kambarata-1 hydropower plant, the country’s largest energy undertaking. The government anticipates that the synchronized launch of these major facilities by the beginning of the next decade will eliminate the need for foreign electricity imports and restore Kyrgyzstan as a consistent energy exporter in the Central Asian regional market.