— What coal deposits is "Kyrgyzkomur" currently developing?
— At the moment, we are working in three main areas:
- supplying coal to the Bishkek CHPP;
- supplying for social needs: schools, kindergartens, and small boiler houses;
- shipping coal to private carriers who handle sales.
We have 23 licenses obtained over the last 2-3 years. We have a branch in Balakchy, as well as the "Kara-Keche" and "Southern" deposits, the latter of which oversees southern deposits and export issues.
— The main deposit for coal supplies is "Kara-Keche," right?
— Yes, "Kara-Keche" is the largest deposit in the northern part of the country. The extraction volumes there satisfy 30-35% of Kyrgyzstan's needs, and for the northern region, this figure reaches 90%.
On the new block of the Bishkek CHPP, built ten years ago, coal from "Kara-Keche" is used entirely. To date, its quality has significantly improved due to extraction from lower seams. Previously, the CHPP used fuel oil or gas to improve combustion, but last year, Kara-Keche coal hardly needed such additives. If its calorific value used to be around 3,500, now it ranges from 4,500 to 5,800.
Over the past two years, coal from "Kara-Keche" has become popular in the southern regions, and there is a slight shortage in Bishkek and the Chui region. This is due to the fact that many trucks, despite the distance, come from Osh.
— How reasonable is it to transport coal from "Kara-Keche" to the south if there are other sources there?
— In the last two years, almost the entire private sector in Uzbekistan has switched to stove heating due to a gas shortage. This has led to an increase in demand for coal in the Fergana Valley, and coal from the Osh, Batken, and Jalal-Abad regions is supplied there. The border with Tajikistan has also opened, allowing certain volumes of coal to be directed there.
— What is the current coal supply situation in Bishkek and the entire country?
— People buy coal in different ways: some purchase 5 tons for the entire season, while others buy two to three tons and then buy more in winter. This is because the population is used to "Kyrgyzkomur" providing coal; we have social bases. Last year in Bishkek, we sold about 170,000 tons of coal, and this year we plan to sell about 35,000 tons. Sales begin in October and continue until February. Next year, we plan to open social bases earlier.
The minimum price of coal in Bishkek is 5,800 soms, while in the Chui region, it ranges from 5,600 to 6,200 soms, depending on logistics costs.
The coal supply will continue, as demand for it does not decrease.
— What is the status of the project to build a thermal power plant (TPP) at "Kara-Keche"?
— Currently, a preliminary investment agreement has been signed between the Ministry of Energy and a private company ready to finance the construction of the TPP over 3-5 years. We are looking for additional investors, as the operation of a TPP with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts will require an additional extraction of about 5 million tons of coal per year.
At the moment, preparatory work is underway; the final agreement has not yet been signed and will be approved by the cabinet of ministers.
— You mentioned that small coal is not in demand. Are you considering technologies for its processing or new products?
— We are exploring new possibilities for using coal. In particular, coal is used in filters for purification, which we install in apartments and offices. In other countries, coal is processed into diesel fuel and fuel oil, but this requires high-cost equipment. In the future, we plan to develop this direction, as the world is gradually moving away from hydrocarbons, and we need to transition to clean energy.
For example, in China, small deposits are being closed, and new methods are being used to obtain gas from coal. When coal burns, it produces gas, and this technology is also being considered by us as one of the options.
— In recent years, there has been active gasification of settlements. Are there any data on whether coal consumption has decreased?[/b>
— Due to the increase in construction, coal consumption is not decreasing; on the contrary, it is increasing. At "Kara-Keche," 300-400 thousand tons of coal were mined over ten years, while in the last two years, this volume has reached 1.5 million tons. Coal is not exported but used only in the domestic market, indicating an increase in consumption.
[b]— Will there be enough coal for everyone this coming winter? What will be the maximum price?
— We will try to keep the price of coal at 5,800 soms in Bishkek. Of course, the price may change depending on increased costs. We see that the cost of diesel fuel is rising, which affects transportation costs. Nevertheless, we are taking all measures to maintain this price until the end of the season.
The planned coal extraction for this year is 1,175,000 tons. So far, we have already extracted 656,000 tons, which allows us to expect to fulfill the remaining volume of 400,000 tons by the end of the year.
