Wednesday, July 18, 2012 -
Kyrgyzstan will lower the amount of electricity it exports to foreign countries, Kyrgyzstan’s energy minister said on Wednesday.
The cause is a decreased amount of water in the Toktogul reservoir, Energy Minister Askarbek Shadiev said in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.
The reduction in Toktogul waters “will lead to a reduction in electricity export to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, respectively, and reduced revenue from the sale [of electricity],” the minister said.
“In this connection, the power company ‘Electrical Stations’ can cause problems for the purchase of coal and fuel oil for power stations in Bishkek and Osh.”
However, the energy ministry is hard at work locating funds to buy the necessary fuel, he said. Having enough fuel to last through the harsh Central Asian winter is a perennial challenge for the Kyrgyz government.
Uzbekistan also owes Kyrgyzstan a substantial amount for its electricity exports, Shadiev added.
Uzbekistan owes Kyrgyzstan $13 million, dating from electricity exports from the end of 2011 and the start of 2012.