On May 26-27, Dubai, United Arab Emirates hosted the second ministerial roundtable on advancing the construction of the Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant (HPP), an ambitious regional initiative being jointly undertaken by Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The project aims to enhance regional cooperation regarding water and energy resource management in Central Asia.
The Kambarata-1 HPP, with a projected capacity of 1,860 megawatts and an average annual electricity generation of 5.6 billion kilowatt-hours, will be constructed at an estimated cost exceeding $4 billion. It will be located in the upper reaches of the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan. Upon completion, it will become the largest hydropower plant in Kyrgyzstan and is expected to address the country’s chronic electricity shortages.
The roundtable was attended by the ministers of energy of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, and the World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia Tatiana Proskuryakova.
The governments of the three participating countries previously requested the World Bank’s assistance in preparing and financing the Kambarata-1 HPP construction, including updating the project’s feasibility study, preparing an environmental and social impact assessment, and developing a sustainable financing model for the project.
At the roundtable, Proskuryakova stated: “The World Bank welcomes the unprecedented level of cooperation between the countries of Central Asia in ensuring energy and water security in the region. In partnership with other international organizations, we are pleased to support the efforts of the governments of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Uzbekistan to implement the Kambarata-1 HPP project, which will bring significant economic and social benefits to the entire region and its people.”
The meeting reviewed the progress achieved since the first ministerial roundtable held in January 2025 in Tashkent.
Particular attention was paid to the feasibility study and environmental and social aspects of the project. The participants also reviewed updated cost estimates for the project, the need for grid modernization, sources of financing, including support from international financial institutions, and key principles of cooperation in the water and energy sector.
Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Energy Taalaibek Ibrayev emphasized that Kambarata-1 HPP is a critical project for the future of Central Asia. “We are proud to implement it in close partnership with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, based on a common vision of sustainable water use and regional energy security. Through joint efforts, we are confidently moving towards the start of the project’s implementation in 2025.”
Kazakhstan’s Minister of Energy Erlan Akkenzhenov stated: “The advancement of the Kambarata-1 HPP project is the result of close and productive interaction between our three countries. Kazakhstan is firmly committed to this initiative and will continue to actively cooperate with partners to achieve common goals in the field of energy development in the region.”
Uzbekistan’s Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov expressed his confidence that “thanks to the coordinated actions of our countries and the support of international financial institutions, we will be able to implement this project in full compliance with international technical, environmental and social standards”.
According to Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Energy, Kyrgyzstan, with the World Bank’s technical support, is currently updating the project’s feasibility study. This includes assessing the technical, economic, financial, environmental, and social dimensions of the Kambarata-1 HPP.
Kyrgyzstan is also progressing with preparatory stages of the project, which include the construction of access roads to the future HPP site, electricity transmission lines and a power substation, a bridge across the Naryn River, and a shift camp to house HPP construction workers.
Photo: gov.kg
