Capsule-laying ceremony for Kyrgyzstan’s first solar plant, Toru-Aygyr, June 2022. Photo: sputnik.kg
The government of Kyrgyzstan has approved an investment agreement for the construction and operation of a 1,900-megawatt (MW) solar power plant in the Toru-Aygyr–Tamchi rural district of the Issyk-Kul Region, making it the largest renewable energy project in the country’s history, the Cabinet’s press service announced.
At a recent cabinet meeting, Minister of Energy Taalaibek Ibraev stressed that Kyrgyzstan faces a shortfall of 3–4 billion kWh of electricity during the autumn-winter season — a gap that is growing annually. The new plant is expected to significantly boost electricity production and strengthen the country’s energy security.
While specific details about investors and total construction costs have not yet been disclosed, the scale of the project underscores Kyrgyzstan’s increasing focus on renewable energy development.
Issyk-Kul has already become a hub for large-scale renewable projects with international backing. For example:
– A 300 MW solar power plant is currently under construction in Toru-Aygyr, in partnership with Russia, valued at $300 million.
– A 400 MW solar plant is planned near the village of Kara-Talaa, close to Balykchy, with China as a partner; its estimated cost is $400 million.
Kyrgyzstan’s first solar power plant broke ground in June 2022 in Toru-Aygyr, developed jointly with a Kazakhstani company. With a capacity of 300 MW and an investment volume of $270 million (including $25 million from the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund), the facility is being built by Bishkek Solar, headed by Azamat Iskembayev. The company aims to expand the plant’s capacity to 1 gigawatt (GW) in the future.
