BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, March 27. Russian state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom, in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy of Kyrgyzstan, is exploring ways for the construction of a small nuclear power plant in the country, said Alexei Likhachev, the CEO of Rosatom, during the ATOMEXPO-2024 forum in Russia's Sochi, Trend reports.
"The country's leadership expresses serious interest in the construction of small nuclear and wind power plants. We are working in all these directions," said Likhachev.
He added that Kyrgyzstan has significant potential for the development of green energy. An agreement has been reached with Rosatom to build a 100-MW wind power plant in the Issyk-Kul region. This project is part of a larger strategy aimed at creating wind capacity totaling at least 1 GW in the country.
Additionally, within the framework of the forum, Rosatom and the Ministry of Energy signed a contract for the construction of small hydroelectric power plants in various regions of Kyrgyzstan.
According to the terms of the contract, the parties agreed to cooperate within the framework of an investment project to build small hydroelectric power facilities in Kyrgyzstan with a total capacity of up to 400 MW. The agreement envisages a mutually beneficial partnership in the construction of a series of hydroelectric power plants in various regions of the country, including Talas, Jalal-Abad, Batken regions, and others.
Meanwhile, in 2022, the Ministry of Energy of Kyrgyzstan signed a memorandum of cooperation with Rosatom for the construction of a small nuclear power plant utilizing the RITM-200 reactor in Kyrgyzstan. Later, announcements revealed plans for the construction of one or several small nuclear power stations, each with a capacity of 55 MW.