Kyrgyzstan is actively seeking international partners to finance its flagship energy project – the construction of the Kambar-Ata HPP-1. First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Daniyar Amangeldiev made a corresponding proposal to the OPEC Fund for International Development (FRO) and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. Negotiations took place in Algeria, where Amangeldiev took part in the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Islamic Development Bank, meeting with the Director General of the FRO Abdulhamid Alkhalif and the Director of the Operations Department of the Kuwait Fund Abdullah Al-Musaybih.
During the meetings, Daniyar Amangeldiev presented Kambar-Ata HPP-1 as a project of strategic importance that could radically strengthen the energy security of not only Kyrgyzstan, but also the entire Central Asian region. Particular attention was paid to the contribution of the future hydroelectric power station to the development of a «green» economy through the generation of clean, renewable energy. Kyrgyzstan views the FRO and the Kuwait Fund as important partners in achieving their national priorities.
The Kyrgyz side expressed its full readiness to provide potential investors with all the necessary documentation and assist in conducting a detailed assessment of the project. Daniyar Amangeldiev also informed representatives of the funds about the planned timing of completion of the feasibility study (feasibility study) and environmental impact assessment (EIA) for Kambar-Ata HPP-1. At the same time, an intergovernmental agreement is being prepared on the joint implementation of this strategic project with neighboring Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Kyrgyzstan’s interest in attracting the rich experience of the FRO and the Kuwait Fund, accumulated in the implementation of similar large infrastructure facilities around the world, was especially emphasized.
Kambar-Ata HPP-1 promises to become one of the largest energy facilities in the region. According to the Ministry of Energy of Kyrgyzstan, the main construction work is scheduled for 2027, and the full commissioning of the hydroelectric power station is expected by 2035. The design installed capacity will be an impressive 1,860 MW, which will generate about 5.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This will ensure an increase in electricity generation in the country by about a third from the current level. Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibraev reported in January 2025 that the total cost of the project was estimated at US$3.5 billion. The hydroelectric dam will be built on the Naryn River, 8 kilometers upstream from the existing Kambar-Ata HPP-2 and 17 kilometers from the beginning of the Toktogul reservoir.
Active preparatory work is already underway at the site of future construction, including the creation of the necessary infrastructure: roads, a bridge, an electrical substation, a work camp, as well as the laying of a tunnel and power lines. In addition to the energy megaproject, other promising areas of cooperation were discussed at the meetings in Algeria, in particular, the implementation of state programs of Kyrgyzstan in the areas of providing the population with affordable housing and developing water supply systems.
As a result of the negotiations, the parties expressed mutual interest in deepening the partnership and agreed to hold additional consultations at the expert level to study in detail the proposed initiatives. This step opens up new prospects for attracting significant investment in key sectors of the Kyrgyz economy.
