For the first time over the years of independence, Kyrgyzstan imports electricity from Turkmenistan to cover the shortage of electricity, the Ministry of Energy reports.
Previously, there were no imports from this country due to the impossibility of transmitting electricity through a high-voltage line between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. After the reconstruction of the 500 kilovolt high-voltage line by the Turkmen side, Kyrgyzstan was able to buy electricity from the country.
“Agreements on the import of electricity to Kyrgyzstan were reached during the visit of the President Sadyr Japarov to Turkmenistan. Since the electricity is imported through the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan, agreements on the transit of Turkmen electricity were reached between the power specialists of the two republics within the framework of the current regulatory and technical documents of the United Energy System of Central Asia,” the ministry said.
Kyrgyzstan imports electricity at a price of about 2 soms.
“In 2014, electricity was imported at 5 soms from Kazakhstan from Zhambyl GRES. Electricity was sold to the population at 77 tyiyns, thereby increasing the shortage of funds in energy companies. Because of it and large loans taken from external donors, new generating capacities have not been built and commissioned over the past 10 years. One of the last commissioning of new generating capacities was in 2010 – this is the first hydroelectric unit of Kambar-Ata HPP-2. It was possible to build Kambar-Ata HPP-1, the Upper Naryn HPP cascade, Karakechinskaya TPP and many other small and large generating power plants,” the Ministry of Energy believes. (24.kg/Business World Magazine)