Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan agreed on Jan. 6 to build the Kambar-Ata-1 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) on the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan to generate electricity to Central Asian countries and ensure the region’s sustainable water supply, reported the Kazakh Energy Ministry press service.
The construction costs of the Kambar-Ata-1 HPP, set to become the largest in Kyrgyzstan, will be divided equally among three countries, according to the ministry.
Kazakhstan joined the project as part of the agreement reached during the official visit of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Kyrgyzstan in May 2022.
“The main goal of Kazakhstan’s participation should be sustainable water supply management of the Syrdarya River,” reads the official response to Kazinform from the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.
The power plant project is expected to gradually shift Kyrgyzstan’s Toktogul hydroelectric power plant’s operating mode from a power-generating mode to an irrigation mode in the summers, leading to the growth in water consumption in neighbouring Kazakhstan’s southern regions during the planting season.
At the moment, three countries are in the negotiation process of signing an intergovernmental agreement on project implementation. The cost of HPP construction and the immediate technical solutions have yet to be determined.
“The project is planned to be conducted in line with the standards of international project financing to attract the required amount of capital investments. Furthermore, Kazakhstan has no plans to provide state guarantees,” reads the official commentary.
The parties are working on signing an intergovernmental agreement to define the conditions for the implementation of the project. In terms of public discussion and approval, the requirements of the legislation on international treaties will be observed.
