At first light, in the silence of the mountain valley of the Turgen River, the hum of engines began to sound: equipment and building materials began to be delivered here. Here, 50 kilometers from Karakol, Issyk-Kul region, the construction of a cascade of small hydroelectric power plants — a large-scale project has officially begun, which should become a new support for the energy independence of Kyrgyzstan.
Two years ago, in the Kyrgyz Republic, at the initiative of the President, the creation of favorable conditions for the development of renewable energies began.
The initiator of the project was LLC «Chon-Ak-Suu-Hydro-Energo» with the support of a strategic investor from Switzerland. The project is being implemented, among other things, thanks to the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Swiss Confederation, in particular, thanks to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Omar Sultanov.
The site of the future construction site resembled a busy anthill: installers, engineers, contractor representatives and local residents gathered at the foot of the mountains to witness the important event.
The symbolic start of construction was accompanied by solemn speeches. Akim of the Ak-Suu region Kanatbek Kaldaraliev addressed the audience, expressing confidence that the project will give the region an impetus for development and create new jobs.
Director «Chon-Ak-Suu-Hydro-Energo» Bakyt Yesenbaeva noted: «Our goal — is not just energy generation, but an environmentally friendly and safe approach. We use modern GRP pipes that do not harm the environment and comply with all international environmental standards».
Kanatbek Kaldaraliev emphasized in his speech: «This is not only energy — this is a step towards the comprehensive development of our region. We hope other investors will follow suit».
Local elders also came to the event. One of the elders, standing by the river itself, remarked: «Water — is life. We are glad that it will begin to work for the benefit of our people, without losing its purity».
The future cascade includes three small hydroelectric power stations each with a capacity of 8.9 megawatts. They will be located at an altitude of 2 thousand 525, 2 thousand 318 and 2 thousand 112 meters above sea level. The total capacity will be 26.8 megawatts, and the annual generation — will be more than 112 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity. This is enough to provide energy to dozens of settlements and reduce the load on traditional sources.
A special feature of the project will be a diversion canal almost 10 kilometers long with a height difference of 620 meters — this scheme ensures efficiency and minimal intervention in the landscape.
The project is being implemented in stages with constant quality control and should be completed within the next two years. Already in the first weeks, active excavation work, canal laying and installation of temporary access roads are expected.
This day — is just the beginning of a long journey. But already today in Turgen the engines and voices of the workers are sounding — which means that the energy of the future is already on the way.
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