Kyrgyzstan has entered the active equipment installation phase at the 21-megawatt Orto-Tokoy hydroelectric power project, according to the country’s Ministry of Energy. The plant, situated at the Orto-Tokoy reservoir, aims to utilize irrigation water releases to help reduce the Central Asian nation’s winter electricity deficits.
Work on the associated infrastructure includes the construction of a 110-kilovolt transmission line. Contractors have finished the concrete foundations for the main pylons and installed 18 of the 26 planned intermediate towers, while continuing work on grounding loops and heavy-vehicle access roads.
At the main site, crews have completed the excavation of a 950-meter diversion tunnel, which is currently being lined with steel and reinforced with cement grouting. Inside the powerhouse, technicians have aligned the rotor for the second turbine unit and installed auxiliary transformers, alongside ongoing wiring and automation system testing.
External works include the assembly of a 110-kilovolt outdoor switchyard and reinforcement of the reservoir banks. To prevent soil erosion during operations, workers are lining the upstream and downstream channels with rock riprap and concrete.
Kyrgyzstan, which relies on hydropower for most of its electricity, has faced chronic energy shortages in recent years due to rising demand, low river flows, and aging Soviet-era infrastructure. The Orto-Tokoy project represents part of a broader government strategy to construct small and medium-sized hydro plants at existing agricultural reservoirs to boost generation capacity.
