DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, March 24. Electricity consumption in Kyrgyzstan totaled 16.558 billion kWh in 2023, which is a notable increase from 10.313 billion kWh in 2010, Trend reports.
According to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Energy, 30,000 new users are added on average each year.
"On March 5, 2024, the reconstruction of hydro units at Toktogul and Uch-Kurgan hydroelectric power plants (HPP) began, resulting in a 290 MW decrease in the installed capacity of power stations," stated the ministry.
The primary goal of the reconstruction efforts were early preparation for the autumn-winter period of 2024-2025, as well as the reconstruction of worn-out hydro units at the Toktogul and Uch-Kurgan HPPs to assure the population's uninterrupted electricity supply. At the same time, it is required to improve HPP capacity.
Unit No. 1 of the Toktogul HPP was decommissioned for reconstruction on March 5, 2024. The capacity of the Toktogul HPP is planned to expand by 60 MW once unit No. 1 is fully rebuilt in 2024, increasing the overall capacity to 1,380 MW.
Starting on March 5, 2024, unit No. 4 of the Uch-Kurgan HPP has been withdrawn for reconstruction. Post-reconstruction, the capacity of this unit will witness a 20 percent increase. Currently, the total capacity of the Uch-Kurgan HPP stands at 180 MW. Upon completion of the reconstruction, the total capacity of the Uch-Kurgan HPP will rise to 216 MW, implying a 20 percent increase in the capacity of the HPP.
The Ministry of Energy provided the following data on the level of wear of energy equipment: Toktogul HPP cascade: 57.6 percent; Bishkek thermal power plant (TPP): 64 percent; and Osh TPP: 77.8 percent. According to the ministry, the high level of wear contributes to a significant number of emergency outages.