Hydro and solar project in Kyrgyzstan with Chinese backing

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Work has started on a new energy project in Kyrgyzstan’s Jalal-Abad region, where a mix of hydropower and solar generation is being developed with support from SINOMACH.

The plan isn’t massive in scale, but it’s meant to address local shortages. One part of it is a 5 MW small hydropower plant, expected to generate around 20 million kWh a year. Alongside that, there’s a smaller 1 MW solar unit, which should add roughly 1.6 million kWh annually.

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A ceremony to mark the start of construction took place on April 28, with regional officials present along with Akylbek Japarov, who is involved in overseeing the project.

The total investment is estimated at USD 259.8 million, and it’s being carried out under a public-private partnership setup. The expectation is that once the plants are up and running, they’ll help reduce pressure on the grid and cut down the need for imported electricity.

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The project is expected to create a little over 100 jobs, and there are plans to use it to support irrigation across nearby dry land, somewhere in the range of 1,000 hectares.

Kyrgyzstan has been leaning more into small hydropower lately. Demand has been climbing, but generation hasn’t always kept up. Right now, there are about 48 small plants operating across the country, with total capacity sitting near 180 MW. Another batch is already under construction, as authorities try to build out supply more quickly.

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