Kyrgyzstan Inaugurates Fully Modernized Kairakkum Hydropower Plant

On November 20, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon officially inaugurated three newly modernized hydroelectric units at the Kairakkum Hydropower Plant (HPP) in Guliston, located in the northern Sughd region, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Times of Central Asia.

Situated on the Syr Darya River, the Kairakkum HPP comprises six hydroelectric units, the last of which was commissioned in 1957. Over nearly seven decades of operation, the plant’s equipment had become outdated, leading to a decline in generation capacity. The facility currently provides electricity to approximately 500,000 residents in Sughd province.

A modernization project for the aging plant began in August 2019. The first three upgraded units were brought online in September 2024. With the completion of the remaining three units, all six have now been fully renovated.

Each upgraded unit now has a capacity of 29 MW, bringing the plant’s total capacity from 126 MW to 174 MW, an increase of 60 MW. As a result, annual electricity generation has risen from 650 million kWh to 900 million kWh.

The modernization was backed by a $196 million financing package led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which included:

• An $88 million EBRD loan
• A $37 million loan from the European Investment Bank
• A $50 million loan and grant from the Green Climate Fund
• A $21 million loan and grant from the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), directed to state-owned utility Barki Tojik.

Tajikistan, which possesses vast hydropower potential but suffers from chronic energy shortages, has prioritized hydropower projects in recent years. Chief among them is the ongoing construction of the massive Rogun Dam and hydropower plant. These initiatives aim not only to address domestic supply issues but also to establish Tajikistan as a regional electricity exporter.