Central Asia faces winter of fuel and food shortages

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 19 Oct 2021 by Alex Teddy

It has started snowing in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are using more coal than before for heating.Kyrgyzstan relies on hydropower. A drought in 2021 means water levels are so low that little electricity is generated by dams. National Energy Holding Company said that there will be restrictions on street lighting, adverts that use lights, lighting shops outside of business hours etc.... Even this will probably not leave sufficient electricity for domestic needs. Toktogul hydropower plant (HPP) provides 40% of the country's electricity. Its water level is 12.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) currently. In October 2020 it was 15.2 bcm. HPP works best with over 16 bcm. More water could be released by other dams so that HPP works well. But that would mean water shortages for farms downstream in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. These countries are providing Kyrgyzstan with electricity to counteract the shortfall. The government has acknowledged that it is possible that HPP might even generate no electricity at all by April 2022. HPP needs 5.5 bcm minimum. As of 2022 electricity prices will go up. The government has been charging consumers below cost price for electricity. Now Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are charging more than before for the electricity they provide to Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek Thermal Power Plant was renovated by the Chinese in 2017 for USD 384 million. It is burning more coal now than it has for decades. Kyrgyzstan has coal mines. A ton of coal has risen from USD 42 to 60 in a year.Kazakhstan does not have an electricity shortage but may do soon. It is shipping more coal to the capital. Air pollution is worsening as more coal is burnt. Uzbekistan has a trillion cubi...

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