According to him, preliminary activities are being carried out using state funds: roads are being constructed, tunnels are being built, and infrastructure for camps and worker settlements is being created. These facilities will serve as the foundation for the next stage of construction.
“The government has already allocated about 500 million soms for this work, and this year it is planned to allocate another 570 to 670 million soms. It is difficult to specify the exact amounts, but they are significant. Currently, work on tunnels, bridges, and access roads is nearing completion, and conditions for the accommodation of builders and infrastructure for the future town are being established,” Mamatov noted.
Regarding the implementation of the Kambar-Ata HPP-1 project, since this is a project on an international river with an expected accumulation of about 5-5.5 billion cubic meters of water, its construction is being carried out in cooperation with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, he explained.
“Previously, these countries showed little interest in the project and even hindered attracting investments. However, the current government has managed to reach an agreement: Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have become full-fledged partners in the project, rather than just observers,” the expert added.
Each party — Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan — is allocating 500 million dollars. Thus, a funding source of 1.5 billion dollars has already been identified, and the total budget for the project is estimated at approximately 4 billion dollars. Currently, work is ongoing to assess the environmental impact and technical justification,” he emphasized.
As Mamatov noted, the project is progressing gradually and in close cooperation with neighboring countries and international organizations. In fact, the construction of the Kambar-Ata HPP-1 has already begun with the phased execution of all agreed obligations.
“Previously, neighboring countries might have feared that Kyrgyzstan would use water as a lever of influence, but now, as co-investors, they are interested in the stable operation of the station. The main parameters and operating regime have already been agreed upon. The construction of HPP-1 will take a considerable amount of time, and by the time it is completed, a number of technical and financial issues will need to be resolved. It is also important to develop other projects, especially short-term and medium-term ones, such as the Kara-Keche TPP, which can ensure the stability of the energy system in the coming years,” Mamatov added.
