Turkmenistan to increase electricity exports to Kyrgyzstan in 2024

Kyrgyzstan plans to significantly increase electricity imports from Turkmenistan next year, Kyrgyz Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibrayev said last week in an interview with RIA Novosti, according to the "Business Turkmenistan“.

Speaking at an August 10 press conference, Minister Ibrayev said that Kyrgyzstan intends to import 1.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from Turkmenistan in 2024. This is almost three times more than was imported from Turkmenistan this year.

The move is intended to help meet Kyrgyzstan's overall electricity needs in the face of growing demand, Ibrayev said. Kyrgyzstan currently imports electricity from Turkmenistan and Russia to supplement its own generation.

The Russian company InterRAO is expected to supply Kyrgyzstan with about 1.5 billion kWh under the current contract by the end of 2023. In the first four months of 2023, Kyrgyzstan has already imported more than 566 million kilowatt-hours from Turkmenistan.

Increased electricity imports from Turkmenistan would provide Kyrgyzstan with greater energy security and flexibility in balancing domestic supply and demand, Ibrayev said. Officials are currently negotiating with Turkmen suppliers on the terms of imports in 2024.

More details on the upcoming electricity trade between Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan are expected in the coming months. Kyrgyzstan has been importing electricity from Turkmenistan since 2009 to meet its growing electricity needs during the fall and winter period.