Preparatory work on Kambarata HPP 1, the largest infrastructure project in Kyrgyzstan, will be completed in the first quarter of 2025. The Deputy Minister of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic Nazgul Usenova reported.
According to her, this is the first active phase of construction in many years.
«The Kambarata HPP 1 is located at the source of glaciers, which allows to accumulate and rationally use water resources to provide Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan with irrigation water in the summer. The regional significance of the project is obvious,» Nazgul Usenova noted.
The preliminary cost of construction is estimated at 40 percent of Kyrgyzstan’s GDP (the republic’s GDP in 2023 reached just over 1.2 trillion soms. — Note of 24.kg news agency).
The installed capacity of the station will be 1,860 megawatts, and the average annual generation will be 5.6 billion kilowatt-hours. The height of the dam will reach 256 meters, which makes it an important element in the transition to green energy and strengthening the country’s climate resilience.
Construction is in full swing: the tunnel has been completed, the foundation for a temporary town has been laid, an access road and power lines are being built. Plans for 2025 include the start of construction of industrial facilities.
It is expected that the project will not only increase the efficiency of water use, but also strengthen energy and food security in the region. Kambarata HPP will provide Central Asia with green energy at minimal cost.
Nazgul Usenova noted that Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have agreed to implement the project jointly, which increases its regional significance. The World Bank has allocated $18.6 million to update the feasibility study and conduct environmental studies, and the issue of allocating $500 million for the construction of the main structures is under consideration.
The project does not affect historical and cultural sites. A plot of 6,318 hectares for construction has been allocated, the owner of the land is Kyrgyzstan. Energy will be exported to neighboring countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of CASA 1000 project.
