Kazakhstan has own terms for building Kambarata HPP - ministry
Astana. Dec 19 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan will advance its requirements regarding the implementation of a Kyrgyz-Russian project for the building of the Kambarata HPP (hydropower plant) #1 on the trans-border river Naryn, the republic's Deputy Industry and New Technologies Minister Bakhytzhan Dzhaksaliyev said.
"Kyrgyzstan desires to build the Kambarata HPP-1, thereby increasing its export potential in the form of electric power. For Kazakhstan this project, as an energy [project], does not have great significance, as our country is building its own policy for energy independence," Dzhaksaliyev said in an interview given to Interfax.
"For Kazakhstan the project is important as regards reliable water supply," he said.
"As you know, the issue is a project on a trans-border river that runs through four countries - Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan - and our republic is the end recipient of water via the Syr Darya [river]. If the Kambarata HPP-1 is built, Kazakhstan will have its own demands as to the conditions for the project's realization, based on the basic principles of international agreements on trans-border rivers," he said.
Russia and Kyrgyzstan signed a bilateral agreement on the building and operation of the Kambarata and Verkhne-Naryn hydropower plants in September.
The construction of the former is estimated at $2.5 billion.
Per a preliminary feasibility study for the project, the commissioning of the facility and its installed capacity of 875 mWt will take seven years. Project pay-back, with a tariff of $0.0955 per thousand kWh, would take twelve and a half years.
The project involves OJSC Inter RAO UES of Russia and OJSC Elektricheskie Stantsii (Electric Stations) of Kyrgyzstan. Each of these authorized organizations will hold 50% of the charter capital in the joint venture CJSC Kambarata HPP-1.
By mutual agreement, the parties to the project can bring organizations from third-party countries on board.
Power generated by the plant can be used to meet Kyrgyzstan's own electricity needs or for export. For this, plans call for the building of 500 kWt high-tension lines to neighboring countries. Also, the agreement envisages the building and operation of the 500 kWt Datka-Kemin power line (in Kyrgyzstan) and the 500 kWt Kemin-Almaty line (from Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan). Kyrgyzstan is responsible for financing and building a grid business.
Uzbekistan is concerned about the building of hydropower facilities in neighboring countries, projects that Uzbek experts think could have a negative impact on the region's water and energy balance.
