Tag Archives: hydropower

Power production rises in Kyrgyzstan

DEC. 14 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Electricity production in Kyrgyzstan was 2.5% higher in the first 10 months of the year compared to 2015, media quoted the statistics committee as saying. This is important for Kyrgyzstan because electricity, generated by its extensive hydropower system, is its main export. It is investing in the so-called CASA-1000 project to send electricity to Pakistan via Afghanistan.

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(News report from Issue No. 309, published on Dec. 16 2016)f

EDB to support Tajik Nurek

NOV. 11 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — The Russo-Kazakh Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) said it is ready to consider supporting the modernisation of the Nurek hydropower plant, the largest in Tajikistan. In an interview with Avesta, EDB chairman Dmitri Pankin said that, if the government asked for help, the EDB would help fund reconstruction work at the dam together with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. The Tajik government had previously said the modernisation will cost $700m.

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(News report from Issue No. 305, published on Nov. 18 2016)

Work starts on building Tajikistan’s Rogun dam

OCT. 29 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon inaugurated construction of the Rogun dam which should, if completed to the current plans, be the tallest dam in the world.

The Rogun dam project, though, is a project mired in controversy. Drawn up by the Soviets, it has been at the design stage for decades.

Downstream Uzbekistan is fiercely against the project, fearing that it will divert water that it needs to irrigate its cotton fields. Environmentalists have complained about the damage that will be caused to the natural landscape and human rights groups have documented the thousands of people forcibly moved to clear space for the project.

The inauguration of the Rogun dam project also came the day after a three-hour blackout hit the entire country. Supporters of the project said that this highlighted the need for the hydropower project to be built.

Italy’s Salini Impregilo was handed the $3.9b contract to build the Rogun dam earlier this year.

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(News report from Issue No. 303, published on Nov. 4 2016)

Russia slow on Kyrgyz projects

FEB. 16 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kyrgyzstan’s energy minister, Kubanychbek Turdubayev, has accused Russia of working too slowly on upgrades to hydropower projects, eurasianet.org reported. Upgrades to the Kambar-Ata 1 dam and the Upper-Naryn Cascade were part of a 2012 deal that saw Moscow secure an extension to leases on military bases in Kyrgyzstan.
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(News report from Issue No. 219, published on Feb. 18 2015)