Kyrgyzstan Needs Large Hydropower Plants to End Electricity Imports, Minister Says

Kyrgyzstan must build large hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) to end its need to import electricity, Energy Minister Altynbek Rysbekov told a meeting of the relevant committee of the Jogorku Kenesh, the country's parliament.

Responding to a question from deputies about when electricity imports will stop, the minister said solar power stations and small HPPs are currently being built in the country. However, he said these are not sufficient to fully cover the electricity shortage.

Rysbekov said implementing plans to build large HPPs and the Kara-Keche thermal power plant would allow the shortage to be covered by domestic production. "This in turn will make it possible to eliminate the need for imports," he said.