- China’s attempt to build a ‘maritime community with a shared future’ in the South China Sea
- The Fed’s Goolsbee says he was “confused” by last week’s market reaction
- Customers say they don’t have access to money
- Growth and value stocks could get a boost from Russell’s rebalancing
- European tech brain drain ‘risk number one’ ahead of the IPO
- It’s time to tackle the Taliban’s corruption
Two years after Sign a route map About the construction of the Kammarata-1 hydroelectric power plant, energy ministers from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan gathered in Tashkent with officials from the World Bank for a round table discussion about the project.
According to the Uzbek Media Outlet Daryo.uz,, Uzbek -Minister of Energie, Jurabek Mirzamahmudov greeted the project and stated that it would “provide great benefits for the whole of Central -Asia, strengthen regional energy security, would accelerate the transition to a ‘green’ economy and improve the use of water stocks . “
Kyrgyz Energie -Minister Taalaibek Ibraev called Kammarata-1 “The project of the century”, because of the “enormous potential to strengthen regional cooperation and to promote the long-term development of the entire Central Asian region.”
The Vice Minister of Energie by Kazakhstan Sungat Yessimkhanov, leading the delegation of Astana, also noticed the potential of the project To “guarantee long-term stability in our region and to stimulate future socio-economic growth of our countries.”
In 2023, when the three countries corresponded to a route map with regard to the planned hydropower project, to be built on the Nesyn River of Kyrgyzstan, I have summarized the tumultuous recent history:
Kammar ATA-1 (also written as Kammarata-1) is not a new proposal. Indeed, the first such hydropower project on the site was started in 1986, but the construction fell victim to the Soviet-Intorting in 1991. By 2008, Russia had the Kammar ATA-1 project and the Upper Ninen Cascade project and the dedicated financing included; However, little real work was done and By 2014 – Especially after Russia had invaded the Crimea – It became clear that the projects were No priority for Moscow.
At the end of 2015The then Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev openly disputed Russia’s deployment and said in a end-of-year saving conference: “I don’t like non-filled construction projects, one should be realistic. We all see the state of the Russian economy, we will say, not on the rise, and for objective reasons these agreements (about the construction of hydropathic power stations) cannot be implemented by the Russian party. “
Of course the question then became: if not Russia, who would finance this huge project?
In answer, the three Central Asian states looked at the international community, in which the World Bank entered. The multilateral lender approved a first $ 5 million in technical assistance In October 2023“ In the first place to update the feasibility studies of the project. The word bank followed that in June 2024 with the approval of $ 13.6 million for the project. As a Hydro Review Report at the timeThe additional financing was provided “on very concessional conditions via the International Development Association.” The IDA is a member of the World Bank Group that offers concessional loans and subsidies for projects in the poorest countries in the world. The extra financing included $ 11 million in zero interest credit and a subsidy of $ 2.6 million from the Central Asia Water and Energy program (Cape).
The financing of the World Bank certainly moves the project, but more will be needed. An earlier feasibility study placed the total project costs at around $ 3 billion; The updated feasibility study must be completed before the current figure is known. The steady battle of the meetings – including in Vienna, Brussels and Washington in 2024 – emphasize the coordination and cooperation between the three governments and their international partners.
The Tajikistan -Minister of Energy and Water Sources Daler Juma and Azerbaijan’s Vice -Minister of Energie Orkhan Zeynalov Lived the Tashkent meeting at As guests, the size of the degree of regional cooperation in this arena.
At a time when Russia, the traditional partner of Central Asia in many sectors, is engaged in conflict in Europe, and China has already invested heavily in numerous regional projects-such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Euzekistan Railway-the Kammarata-1 project marks a high -point for intra -regional cooperation. The participating states will certainly have to look further abroad for financing, but the high degree of regional cooperation behind the project is a strong sales argument.