The opening occurred thanks to an agreement between the Kyrgyz Coal Company (OAO "Kyrgyzkomur") and a Chinese trade and industrial company, under which 65 million dollars were invested in the development of coal resources.
The total area of the coal deposit is 863.1 hectares. Of these, 21.5 hectares are located in the city of Sulukta, while the remaining 841.6 hectares are situated in the territory of the Kulundu rural area of the Leilek district. The coal reserves here are estimated at 82.7 million tons.
The implementation of this project will create more than 400 new jobs for local residents and will be an important step in the development of the region.
According to the technical project, an annual coal production of 900 thousand tons is planned, which will open new horizons for the coal industry, strengthen the country's energy security, and expand export opportunities.
As part of the social package, the Chinese company laid a capsule for the construction of a new educational institution for 250 students in Sulukta on October 7, 2025. Construction work has already begun,” the report notes.
Earlier, Turmush reported that work is underway to launch a large coal deposit — Sulukta Field No. 11, whose reserves are estimated at 100 million tons and the area is about 800 hectares.
In October 2023, during the official visit of the Premier of the State Council of China, Li Qiang, to Kyrgyzstan, several agreements were signed. The ceremony took place after extended negotiations between the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Akylbek Japarov and the Premier of the State Council of China.
Among the signed documents is the Agreement on Joint Activities between the State Enterprise "Kyrgyzkomur" and LLC "Tomiris-Ken" for the development of the coal deposit "Sulukta Field-11".
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Sulukta, often referred to as the "stoker of Central Asia," has been a coal mining site for over 150 years. During the Soviet Union, coal from Sulukta was considered one of the highest-calorie coals in the Commonwealth countries.
The balance reserves of coal in the Sulukta deposit amount to 188 million 628 thousand tons, of which category A is 38,338 thousand tons, B is 38,821 thousand tons, C1 is 106,064 thousand tons, and C2 is 5,406 thousand tons.
With such reserves, the operating mines and open pits can continue to work for about 200 more years.
Additional facts about Sulukta can be found here.
Previously, about 300 thousand tons of coal were mined annually in the city, a significant portion of which was exported to Uzbekistan and other regions of Kyrgyzstan.
Taxes from coal mining account for 60% of the revenue part of the Sulukta city budget. Emergencies sometimes occur in the mines.
Sulukta occupies an area of 1,733 hectares, where 24,238 people reside. The city has a humanitarian-economic institute, a pedagogical college, a vocational lyceum, 9 secondary schools, a boarding school, a children's music school, a sports school, a home for the elderly and people with disabilities, 8 kindergartens, a Palace of Culture, 3 libraries, a children's camp, a recreation park, two hospitals, and 3 feldsher-midwifery points.
