The highly anticipated appointment fulfills Mamdani’s campaign promise to keep the respected 44-year-old police executive in the prominent role.
Day: November 19, 2025
Kyrgyzstan has completed the full modernization of its largest energy facility, the Toktogul Hydropower Plant (HPP), located on the Naryn River. The upgrade was finalized with the commissioning of the plant’s fourth generating unit on November 18, raising its total capacity from 1,200 MW to 1,440 MW, according to Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibraev.
The plant’s first three units were modernized between 2021 and 2024, each increasing in capacity from 300 MW to 360 MW. The fourth and final unit, upgraded between March and November 2025, has now reached the same capacity.
Progress at Uch-Kurgan and Kambarata Projects
On the same day, the Ministry of Energy launched the second upgraded unit at the Uch-Kurgan HPP, which added 9 MW in capacity. The first unit, previously replaced, also contributed an additional 9 MW. Modernization of the remaining two units is scheduled for 2026. Upon completion, Uch-Kurgan’s total capacity will increase by 36 MW.
Kyrgyzstan is also advancing construction of the Kambarata-1 HPP, a strategic regional project being developed in partnership with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Once operational, Kambarata-1 will have a capacity of 1,860 MW and generate 5.6 billion kWh annually.
Energy Challenges Ahead
Despite the modernization progress, Ibraev has warned of a challenging winter ahead due to critically low water levels in the Toktogul Reservoir. Electricity consumption in 2024 reached 18.3 billion kWh, an increase of 1.1 billion kWh over 2023, forcing Kyrgyzstan to import 3.6 billion kWh from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia to cover winter demand.
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