Specialists of the energy sector of Kyrgyzstan expect increased water levels in rivers following a snowy winter, Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibraev said on Birinchi Radio.
According to him, the volume of water in Toktogul reservoir currently stands at about 19.5 billion cubic meters.
«It is not 9 billion, as is sometimes reported. The Kambar-Ata-1 Hydropower Plant project also provides for additional storage of 5–6 billion cubic meters of water, which will make it possible to generate around 6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity,» the minister noted.
He added that water from the Toktogul reservoir is currently used to generate electricity at Kurpsai HPP, Tash-Kumyr HPP, and Uch-Kurgan HPP. After the commissioning of Kambar-Ata-1, part of the electricity will be produced at the new facility, allowing water volumes in the Toktogul reservoir to be preserved.
The construction period for the strategically important project is estimated at about six years, Ibraev said.
Previously, the feasibility study provided a timeline of up to eight years, but with the use of modern technologies, specialists have reduced it.
The project includes the construction of a dam 261 meters high and about 700 meters wide. Two tunnels with a total length of about 3 kilometers will also be built to divert the course of Naryn River.
The minister also emphasized that river inflows are cyclical. This year, higher water volumes are expected compared to 2025 due to heavier snowfall in winter.
