Kyrgyzstan has completed the full reconstruction of the Toktogul Hydroelectric Power Plant, the country’s largest energy facility, with the commissioning of the fourth and final modernized turbine. The Ministry of Energy reported the completion of the project.
Energy Minister Taalaybek Ibraev participated in the launch of the updated fourth turbine at Toktogul HPP, alongside the second turbine at the Uch-Kurgan HPP.
«The reconstruction work on the fourth turbine at Toktogul HPP has been completed 100% successfully. This is a historic event for the energy sector,» the ministry emphasized.
Following the modernization, Toktogul HPP’s capacity increased to 1,440 megawatts, accounting for nearly 60% of Kyrgyzstan’s total electricity generation.
Built during the Soviet era on the Naryn River, the Toktogul reservoir remains the largest in the country and a key water resource for Central Asia. Construction took over a decade, with the facility completed in the 1970s and filling with water beginning in 1973.
Reconstruction of the HPP began in 2015, financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD), with total investments around $287 million—$187 million from ADB ($89 million loan, $98 million grant) and $100 million from EFSD in loans.
Modernization was carried out in phases: 2015–2019 saw replacement of auxiliary electrical equipment including 500 kV transformers and cables; 2022–2023 included upgrades to two turbines and auxiliary systems; and the final phase in 2024–2025 involved installation of the third and fourth turbines. International companies GE Hydro France, ZMEC, and SMP executed the work.
Deputy Director for Reconstruction Mirlan Ziyaidinov noted that the plant had operated nearly twice as long as its original design lifespan.
«The design life is 20–30 years, but we stretched it to 50. This was thanks to our specialists who repaired and maintained it themselves. This is the achievement of those who ensured the plant never stopped,» Ziyaidinov said.
Digital control systems have been introduced at the plant, with all key processes now monitored via screens through a human-machine interface. «Previously, we had panels from the original construction. Now everything—modes, capacity, turbine status—is under control through monitors,» he explained.
Meanwhile, Kyrgyz authorities have tightened control over strategic water resources. Data on the Toktogul reservoir’s water volume has not been publicly released since 15 May, now classified as “for official use”. Information on water levels and inflows is available only via official request to authorized bodies, including the State Committee for National Security.
The last publicly available data from 15 May indicated a water volume of 9.529 billion cubic meters, exceeding both the previous year’s (8.245 billion) and month’s (8.569 billion) figures. Inflow was estimated at 1,230 cubic meters per second, with outflow at 181 cubic meters per second.
Recently, President Sadyr Japarov reported that the reservoir’s water level is 2 billion cubic meters lower than the previous year, forcing the country to purchase electricity from external sources. Large-scale electricity consumption restrictions have also been introduced nationwide.
