Kazakhstan Resumed Coal Supplies to Kyrgyzstan

In the coming days, the republic will receive about 424 thousand tons of Kazakh coal

About 15 days ago, Kazakhstan suspended coal exports to Kyrgyzstan. However, on the eve of November 1, supplies were restored, and the first 6 wagons of fuel arrived in the republic. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Duyshenbek Zilaliev during a parliamentary session.

According to him, today, November 2, Kyrgyzstan received another 9 wagons of Kazakh coal, and within the next 10 days, another 106 wagons are expected to arrive. In total, about 484 thousand tons of fuel will be supplied.

The high-ranking official also reported that Kyrgyz citizens need not fear a fuel shortage. The capital's CHP has 257 thousand tons of coal and 4.8 thousand tons of fuel oil in storage. These reserves will be sufficient for the power plants for two months.

Budgetary organizations have managed to stock up on 146.6 thousand tons of coal, which exceeds their needs by 3.16%. For the population, 638.1 thousand tons of coal have already been prepared, which is 21.5% more than planned.

On October 17, 2017, the Ministry of National Economy of Kazakhstan proposed a ban on coal exports during peak consumption periods in the domestic market.

This initiative was not legislatively formalized; however, on October 20, supplies of "black gold" to Kyrgyzstan were suspended. Kazakh officials explained this by a shortage of wagons and a sharp increase in domestic coal consumption due to a shortage of oil and gasoline in Kazakhstan. This led to a sharp rise in coal prices in the neighboring republic.

It should be noted that according to the Ministry of Economy of Kyrgyzstan, the country is capable of covering 70% of its own needs through the use of domestic coal. At the same time, the Kyrgyz Republic is the third largest buyer of Kazakh coal.