BISHKEK—Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Energy on Friday announced the start of a nationwide maintenance and upgrade programme for high-voltage power transformers, a move officials say is critical to avoiding the blackouts that dogged the Central Asian nation last winter.
In a statement released after a cabinet meeting, the ministry said more than 120 transformers rated at 110 kilovolts and above will be overhauled or replaced over the next 24 months. The project carries an estimated price tag of US $75 million, to be financed through a mix of state funds and concessional loans from the Asian Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
“Up to 40 percent of the country’s large transformers have exceeded their design life,” a senior ministry official told reporters, adding that procurement tenders would be published in April, with the first equipment arriving before the 2026-27 heating season.
Kyrgyzstan relies on ageing Soviet-era hydropower plants for about 90 percent of its electricity generation. A series of transformer failures in December left parts of Bishkek and Osh without power for hours, forcing factories to idle and prompting public protests. According to ministry data, technical losses in the transmission network peaked at 14 percent during the cold spell—more than double the regional average.
Independent energy analyst Aida Omurkulova called the transformer overhaul “long overdue,” noting that demand has risen by roughly 4 percent annually since 2020. “Unless the grid is reinforced, Kyrgyzstan will struggle to participate fully in regional power-trading schemes such as CASA-1000,” she said in an interview.
The upgrade coincides with wider efforts to diversify the energy mix. Bishkek last week signed preliminary accords with Chinese developers to build 500 MW of solar capacity in the Issyk-Kul region, a project that will ultimately depend on the stability of the national grid.
Tenders for the first batch of 35 transformers are expected to close by mid-June, with contracts awarded under international competitive bidding rules. Officials say domestic engineering teams will work alongside foreign suppliers to speed up installation and build local expertise.
Analysts caution, however, that cost overruns and supply-chain bottlenecks could delay delivery. The ministry has not yet disclosed contingency funding if global copper or steel prices spike.
Still, if the timetable holds, engineers expect the refurbished network to cut technical losses by up to one-third and provide enough spare capacity to accommodate new renewable projects. “The payoff will be felt next winter,” said a Western development official involved in the financing talks, “when households can keep the lights on without emergency imports from neighbours.”