At a meeting of the Environmental Council, Bishkek Mayor Aibek Dzhunushaliev commented on the situation with ash from the capital’s heating and power plant (HPP). The city is facing an environmental problem: ash dumps, previously located far from populated areas, are now located within the city limits, posing a risk of air pollution.
The HPP, which has been operating for over 60 years and supplies Bishkek with heat and electricity, has consistently faced the problem of disposing of the ash generated by burning coal.
According to Aibek Dzhunushaliev, the municipal enterprise Tazalyk is only willing to remove the ash from the HPP if it is packaged in bags.
He also outlined a new ash management policy. Previously, waste removal cost the HPP over 30 million soms per year, but in 2026, the ash is planned to be sold at 2,500 soms per ton, or 2,900 soms with taxes.
While the municipality previously spent money on ash removal and disposal, we now generate income. The waste product is ready for sale.
Aibek Dzhunushaliev
He noted that domestically produced ash is used to produce paving stones, bricks, and slate. This allows the HPP waste to be recycled into building materials and reduces the burden on the city budget.
The transfer of the HPP to the City Hall in 2024 was a key moment for the launch of large-scale transformations. Since then, the facility has been actively modernized. According to the mayor, it is these efforts that have enabled the introduction of new approaches to ash waste management.
