BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 7. Kyrgyzstan's renewable energy capacity reached 3,210 MW in 2023, Trend reports.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reported a
15.4 percent increase in the country's renewable energy capacity
over the previous years of 2022 and 2021, which stood at 2,780
MW.
However, there was a 12 percent decline from the higher projections
of 3,674 MW in 2020 and 3,673 MW in 2019 and 2018. Kyrgyzstan's
renewable energy capacity peaked in 2017 at 3,689 MW, spanning the
years 2014–2023.
In terms of power output, Kyrgyzstan's State Statistical Committee
reported over 3.434 billion kWh from January to February 2024. This
represents an 8.2-percent drop compared to the same period in
2022.
The majority of Kyrgyzstan's electricity is generated by
hydroelectric power plants. Russian Rosatom, the State Atomic
Energy Corporation, is currently planning to build a number of
small hydroelectric power stations along the Chandalash River in
Kyrgyzstan, with a total capacity of up to 24 MW, with operations
planned to begin in 2025.
Another notable hydropower project in the country is the
Kambarata-1 HPP, located on the Naryn River. This project, planned
to become one of Central Asia's greatest hydropower undertakings,
is designed to have a capacity of 1,860 MW and a reservoir volume
of 5.4 billion cubic meters, with an estimated annual electricity
generation of 5.6 billion kWh. Kyrgyzstan signed a deal with the
World Bank in November 2023 for $5 million in technical support to
revise the feasibility assessment for the Kambarata-1 HPP.