Int'l study to delay construction of Kyrgyzstan power plant - analyst
By Aynur Jafarova
International independent expertise on the project for building a hydro-power plant in Kyrgyzstan, Kambarata HPP-1, would actually delay its construction, a Russian expert on Central Asia says.
"A very similar example is the situation with the Rogun HPP in Tajikistan, which was also put up for an international assessment lasting several years," Alexander Knyazev told Azerbaijani news agency Trend.
Russia and Kyrgyzstan in September signed an agreement for the construction and operation of Kambarata HPP-1. Electricity generated at the power station can be used both to meet the demand of Kyrgyzstan and for export to neighboring countries.
At the same time, Uzbekistan has repeatedly expressed concern over the construction of hydropower facilities in neighboring countries.
According to Uzbek experts, it may affect the water and energy balance in the region, reduce the flow of the Naryn River and cause a lack of water in the Ferghana Valley, which is the most densely populated territory not only in Uzbekistan but the whole Central Asia region.
Italian environment experts share the opinion of their Uzbek colleagues. They say ambiguous approaches to the issues pertaining to water resources can lead to irreversible consequences, including environmental disasters in Central Asia.
Uzbek President Islam Karimov said in September about the project, "Water problems may cause conflicts. This is a serious confrontation. It may even become a cause of war in the region. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are interested in the use of these rivers to get energy, forgetting that Amu Darya and Syr Darya are transboundary rivers."
The president added that the Kazakh and Uzbek people fall under the threat of flooding due to the construction of two large hydroelectric power stations - Rogun and Kambarata.
On December 13, Uzbekistan and Russia agreed to conduct an international independent expertise on the construction of Kambarata HPP-1 in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbek First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov has said.
According to Knyazev, no international expertise will approve the Kambarata HPP capacities the Kyrgyz party insists on, because such a decision could spoil relations with Uzbekistan, which is a key country in the region in many spheres.
"The Kyrgyz side insists on building dams with power capacity of 1.9 GWt per year...Russia proposed the capacity of 850 MWt per year. The issue has not been resolved.
"I think no international expertise will approve such huge capacity, because no one wants to clash with Uzbekistan. Moscow understands this situation and found a diplomatic solution: to hand the project over to international organizations and pass these troubles on to them," Knyazev said.
According to the expert, implementation of the Kambarata HPP-1
project is hampered by political instability in Kyrgyzstan, and
this situation is one more reason for Russia to delay the
project.
"The political instability in Kyrgyzstan has a permanent nature and
the investment climate in the country is very hard. Investors and
even representatives of small and medium-sized businesses of
Turkey, Iran, Kazakhstan and other countries are leaving the
republic," Knyazev said.
But Knyazev does not believe Kyrgyzstan will find any other investors besides Russia for the Kambarata HPP-1 project.
"A similar situation occurred in Tajikistan, which has been trying to find alternative investors for Rogun HPP project since 2004 when the Tajik government came into conflict with the Russian Rusal, the former investor into the project. No investor has been found since that time," Knyazev said.
Moreover, according to the expert, Uzbekistan could hamper the construction of both Rogun HPP in Tajikistan and Kambarata HPP-1 in Kyrgyzstan by severing communications.
"Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan depend on communications passing through Uzbekistan," Knyazev stressed.