Rosatom planning to build several small hydropower plants in Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK. April 14 (Interfax) - Rosatom Central Asia is planning to build several small hydropower plants in Kyrgyzstan, the press service for the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund (RKDF) said.

"The RKDF has allocated a preferential loan of $5.6 million for the construction of a small hydropower plant, Leylek. The project was developed by Rosatom Central Asia, which is planning to build several small hydropower plants in Kyrgyzstan. It will be the main supplier of equipment for the Leylek Hydropower Plant," the press service said.

The hydropower plant's capacity will be 5.9 megawatts, and it will produce 26.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, it said.

"We're beginning to implement the first project to build a small hydropower plant in the Batken region in the south of Kyrgyzstan. It is worth noting that this is on the whole the first project of its kind in the region," RKDF head Artem Novikov was quoted by the press service as saying.

Construction works on the Leylek Hydropower Plant began in March and will be finished in a year, in March 2023, the press service said.

Rosatom is also working on other projects in Kyrgyzstan. Rosatom discussed a program for land reclamation in areas affected by uranium mining with Kyrgyzstan at the beginning of the year, as well as the prospects for expanding cooperation on nuclear and related subjects. Rosatom recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kyrgyz Energy and Industry Ministry within the framework of cooperation in building small nuclear power plants.