Bishkek power station
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Bishkek power station (Бишкекская ТЭЦ, ТЭЦ г. Бишкек) is an operating power station of at least 812-megawatts (MW) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as Bishkek CHP power station.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Bishkek power station | Bishkek, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan | 42.871747, 74.654957 (exact)[1] |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 10, Unit 11, Unit 12, Unit 13, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, Unit 8, Unit 9, Unit 10, Unit 12, Unit 7, Unit 8, Unit 9, Unit 5, Unit 13, Unit 6, Unit 1, Unit 11, Unit 3, Unit 4: 42.871747, 74.654957
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 10 | announced[2][3][4][5] | gas[2] | 100[2] | not found | yes[6] | – | – |
| Unit 11 | announced[2][3][4][5] | gas[2] | 90[2] | not found | yes[6] | – | – |
| Unit 12 | announced[2][3][4][5] | gas[2] | 150[2] | not found | yes[6] | – | – |
| Unit 13 | announced[2][3][4][5] | gas[2] | 150[2] | not found | yes[6] | – | – |
| Unit 5 | announced[2][3][4][5] | gas[2] | 100[2] | not found | yes[6] | – | – |
| Unit 6 | announced[2][3][4][5] | gas[2] | 100[2] | not found | yes[6] | – | – |
| Unit 7 | announced[2][3][4][5] | gas[2] | 60[2] | not found | yes[6] | – | – |
| Unit 8 | announced[2][3][4][5] | gas[2] | 60[2] | not found | yes[6] | – | – |
| Unit 9 | announced[2][3][4][5] | gas[2] | 100[2] | not found | yes[6] | – | – |
| Unit 10 | operating | coal - unknown, fossil gas - natural gas | 86 | subcritical | – | 1977 | – |
| Unit 12 | operating | coal - unknown, fossil gas - natural gas | 150 | unknown | – | 2017 | – |
| Unit 7 | operating | coal - unknown, fossil gas - natural gas | 60 | subcritical | – | 1970 | – |
| Unit 8 | operating | coal - unknown, fossil gas - natural gas | 60 | subcritical | – | 1972 | – |
| Unit 9 | operating | coal - unknown, fossil gas - natural gas | 86 | subcritical | – | 1975 | – |
| Unit 5 | operating | coal - unknown, fossil gas - natural gas | 65 | subcritical | – | 1965 | – |
| Unit 13 | operating | coal - unknown, fossil gas - natural gas | 150 | unknown | – | 2017 | – |
| Unit 6 | operating | coal - unknown, fossil gas - natural gas | 65 | subcritical | – | 1966 | – |
| Unit 1 | retired | coal - unknown, fossil gas - natural gas | 35 | subcritical | – | 1961 | 2017 |
| Unit 11 | operating | coal - unknown, fossil gas - natural gas | 90 | subcritical | – | 2000 | – |
| Unit 3 | retired | coal - unknown, fossil gas - natural gas | 60 | subcritical | – | 1963 | 2017 |
| Unit 4 | retired | coal - unknown, fossil gas - natural gas | 100 | subcritical | – | 1964 | 2017 |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 10 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC[7] | National Electrical Grid of Kyrgyzstan [100.0%] |
| Unit 11 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC[7] | National Electrical Grid of Kyrgyzstan [100.0%] |
| Unit 12 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC[7] | National Electrical Grid of Kyrgyzstan [100.0%] |
| Unit 13 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC[7] | National Electrical Grid of Kyrgyzstan [100.0%] |
| Unit 5 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC[7] | National Electrical Grid of Kyrgyzstan [100.0%] |
| Unit 6 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC[7] | National Electrical Grid of Kyrgyzstan [100.0%] |
| Unit 7 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC[7] | National Electrical Grid of Kyrgyzstan [100.0%] |
| Unit 8 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC[7] | National Electrical Grid of Kyrgyzstan [100.0%] |
| Unit 9 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC[7] | National Electrical Grid of Kyrgyzstan [100.0%] |
| Unit 10 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 12 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 7 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 8 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 9 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 5 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 13 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 6 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 1 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 11 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 3 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 4 | Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC [100.0%] | – |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): Kara Keche coal mine & Karazhyra field
Financing
- Source of financing: Units 12 and 13 - Export-Import Bank of China (US$386 million)
Background
Built beginning in 1961, the original Bishkek power station produces heat, hot water, and electricity.[8][9] The plant is the largest electricity provider in the north of the country and satisfies 100% of Bishkek's electricity demand and 15% of the country's demand. [10] The plant also provides heating and hot water to 2350 apartment complexes and at least 1840 private homes, in total serving more than 112,000 customers.[10]
The power station is mostly fired by coal, with gas and fuel oil used as the lighting fuel.[11]
The power plant is owned by Electric Power Plants JSC that was established as a result of reorganization of Kyrgyzenergo OJSC in 2001. As of December 2022, 80.56% of Electric Power Plants JSC was held by the National Energy Holding Company OJSC. The ultimate controlling party is the Ministry of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic.[12]
Capacity and Unit Uncertainty
The initial plant included units ranging from 25 to 100 MW, for a total of 666 MW. In 2000, a new unit 11 with 90MW was commissioned[11] and in 2017, 300MW of capacity was added (see below). 4 older units[13] totalling about 220MW were retired with the commissioning of the new units in 2017.[14]
Available information on the unit capacities is not very clear. The undated website of Power Stations JSC (Elektricheskiye Stantsii), the owner of the plant, reported the plant's capacity at 812 MW with 9 turbine units and 18 boilers, after the modernization was completed in 2017.[11][15] IEA report on the energy sector in Kyrgyzstan 2022 also also referred to capacity of 812MW[16]. A media source from 2021 referred to capacity of 800 MW with the plant producing 1-1 -1.5 billion kWh of electricity per year.[17]
Coal Source
The plant mostly uses domestic coal but in summer of 2021, a Kazakh company won the tender for the supply of fuel from Kazakhstan - 643 tonnes coal from the Karazhyra Coal Mine. This company began supplying coal in June 2021. About 1 million tons of coal used by the plant still comes from the Kara-Keche coal mine in Kyrgyzstan, while the additional 650 tons are expected to come from the Kazazhyra field.[18] In autumn 2022, Kyrgyzstan was again faced with the problem of insufficient domestic coal ahead of the winter season and had to import coal from Kazakhstan.[19][20]
300 MW Reconstruction (Units 12 and 13)
In September 2013, the Kyrgyzstan Parliament made an agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China for a US$386 million loan to finance two new 150 MW units at the plant: Units 12 and 13.[21] The new units were constructed by Tebian Electric Apparatus Stock (TBEA).[22][23] It was expected that four outdated turbine generators would be dismantled, and the two new ones would be installed in their place by 2018.[13]
According to press reports in 2016, construction was advancing according to schedule.[24][25][26] The new units were inaugurated in August 2017.
The power station failed during a cold snap in the winter in January 2018, raising questions around the quality of TBEA's work and why the contract was not put out to tender when other companies were interested in bidding.[27]
Opposition & Controversy
The reconstruction decision generated immediate criticism from a variety of political figures.
Members of the Supervisory Board on transparency of fuel and energy complex initiative said that the Electric Power Plants iolated the provisions of the law on public procurements by not following a procedure that allowed transparent evaluation of proposals from multiple bidders. Although the Chinese company TBEA was chosen to build the plant, critics said that China Machinery Engineering (CMEC) had actually submitted a lower offer.
According to one media report, there appeared to be "a lot of rumours" that the Minister of Energy and Industry had "private ties" with TBEA, including financial assistance in building an apartment house on the south Highway. Member of parliament Zamir Bekboyev said that the CMEC offer would have been US$30 million cheaper. According to another member of parliament, Kozhobek Ryspayev, MPs had been rushed through the decision with no time to look through documents, and were told that Export-Import Bank of China's role as financier of the project gave it control over the selection of the contractor. Electric Stations Director General Salaydin Avazov said, "If we had money for reconstruction, we would have held a tender. And since there is no money, we have agreed to the terms of Eximbank."[28]
According to the New York Times, the public outcry and a trial in Bishkek exposed Chinese business practices and local corruption to months of intense scrutiny from Kyrgyzstan’s media and elected politicians. A former plant director described "obscene" price inflation by TBEA, with a pair of pliers priced at US$320, and tens of millions of dollars of unexplained consulting fees. The Bishkek power plant was seen as an early test of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.[29]
The outrage around the new units led to the arrest of two former prime ministers, Sapar Isakov (2017-2018) and Zhantoro Satybaldiyev (2012-2014), for their role in the corruption scandal.[30]
Pollution and Conversion to Gas
In December 2020, the acting Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Artem Novikov, instructed the relevant authorities to carry out calculations on the possibility of converting the Bishkek power station to gas.[10] In the "Plan of Comprehensive Measures to Improve the Environmental Situation in Bishkek", the government prescribed that it is necessary to work out the issue of a phased reconstruction of boiler houses by 2022 in order to convert them to gas, use renewable energy sources such as solar collectors, thermal waters and more.[10] However, the new blocks completed in 2017 were expected to operate on coal.[10]
In January 2021, media reported that the station can be converted to gas if the company agrees on the price of fuel with Gazprom.[31] It was reported that Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC and Gazprom have carried out calculations related to this conversion.[31] It was further reported at the end of January 2021 that negotiations were ongoing between the government and Gazprom regarding the price of gas supplied by Gazprom.[32] In June 2021, it was reported that the negotiations were halted since the price offered by Gazprom was too high and the cost of running the station on gas would be nine times higher than is currently on coal.[33] Reportedly, the alternative of supplying gas from Turkmenistan was being considered instead in 2021.[33]
In December 2022, the plan to transition the plant to gas was mentioned in several media articles, but without any concrete plans. One of the drivers is the heavy smoke in the city of Bishkek with the power plant being one of the main contributors, in additional to many small coal-fired boiler houses dotted across the city.[34][35] Kyrgyzstan has asked for UN funding of USD 6.7 billion to tackle the heavy pollution problem.[36][35] In February 2023, a technical audit of the boilers was conducted concluding that the energy boilers emit several times more emissions than permitted while the filters were switched off during the audit so it was not possible to verify their effectiveness.[37]
As of May 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic was reported to be in the process of estimating the costs of the coal-to-gas conversion.[38] In June 2023, Minister of Energy of Kyrgyzstan Taalaybek Ibrayev reported that the conversion would cost KGS 4 billion (USD 45 million) in addition to the cost of gas.[39]
In June 2023, the plant's transition to gas was discussed again at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic. It was mentioned that in case of the transition, the volume of coal used by the power station would decrease by 600,000 tons. Head of the Cabinet of Ministers Akylbek Zhaparov issued an order to make additional calculations of the cost of the conversion.[40]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Category:CHP-1_Bishkek¶ms=42.873055555556_N_74.656111111111_E_globe:Earth_&language=en.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 https://24.kg/vlast/179209_tets_mogut_perevesti_nagaz_esli_dogovoryatsya_otsene_topliva_sgazpromom/; https://24.kg/ekonomika/180889_perevod_tets_nagaz_gazprom_gotov_dat_skidku_25protsentov/ https://rus.azattyk.org/a/31008711.html; https://24.kg/vlast/179209_tets_mogut_perevesti_nagaz_esli_dogovoryatsya_otsene_topliva_sgazpromom/; https://24.kg/ekonomika/180889_perevod_tets_nagaz_gazprom_gotov_dat_skidku_25protsentov/.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 https://kabar.kg/news/kabmin-rassmatrivaet-perevod-stolichnoi-tetc-na-gaz/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 https://kaktus.media/doc/482637_akylbek_japarov_nazval_yslovie_pobedy_nad_smogom_v_bishkeke.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 https://kaktus.media/doc/486837_pochemy_tec_bishkeka_poka_ne_perehodit_na_gaz.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 https://rus.azattyk.org/a/31008711.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 http://www.energo-es.kg/ru/o-kompanii/filialy/tets-g-bishkek/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Bishkek CHP Power Plant Kyrgyzstan," Global Energy Observatory, accessed September 2014
- ↑ "Coal-Fired Plants in the CIS - other countries," Power Plants Around the World, accessed September 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 "Правительство изучит возможность перевода Бишкекской ТЭЦ на газ". Radio Freedom (Radio Azzatyk). Dec 19, 2020. Retrieved Jan 3, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "ТЭЦ г. Бишкек". Electricheskiye Stantsii JSC. Retrieved Jan 3, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "2022 Financial Statements" (PDF). /cloud.mail.ru/. 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Kyrgyzstan gains electricity independence," Azernews, September 3, 2015
- ↑ "ПРОБЛЕМЫ И ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ УГЛЯ В ТЕПЛОЭНЕРГЕТИКЕ КЫРГЫЗСКОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКИ (page 3)" (PDF). unece.org. unknown.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); line feed character in|title=at position 60 (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Bishkek CHP (video)". energo-es.kg. September 2018. Retrieved December 2022.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ page 48. "IEA Kyrgyzstan 2022 Energy Sector Review" (PDF). iea.org.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "ТЭЦ Бишкека отмечает юбилей – 60 лет". kabar.kg. December 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Угольный след казахстанской компании на Бишкекской ТЭЦ". Radio Azattyk. Oct 21, 2021. Retrieved Dec 1, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "«Зима не будет ждать». Кыргызстан еще не нашел поставщиков электричества и угля". rus.azattyk.org. September 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Энергетика Кыргызстана. Нехватка угля и мечты об экспорте". 24.kg. November 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Towards Secure and Sustainable Energy Supply in Central Asia: Electricity Market Reform and Investment Protection" (PDF). 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "China helps upgrade Bishkek Thermal Power Plant," The Times of Central Asia, Sep. 23, 2013, Archived Feb. 6, 2016
- ↑ "2014 the crucial year for Kyrgyz energy sector — PM," Times of Central Asia, September 17, 2014
- ↑ "Modernization progress of Bishkek combined heat and power plant," AKI Press, July 14, 2016
- ↑ "Destabilization in Kyrgyzstan after presidential elections possible - Atambayev," Trend News Agency, August 30, 2017
- ↑ "Modernized Kyrgyzstan district heating plant opens," Decentralized Energy, August 31, 2017
- ↑ "Kyrgyzstan: Freeze Turns to Hot Fury Over Bishkek's Power Plant Failure," Eurasia.net, January 30, 2018
- ↑ Julia Kostenko, "Modernization of Bishkek Heating and Power Plant: making gross mistake," 24.kg News Agency, January 24, 2014
- ↑ "A Power Plant Fiasco Highlights China’s Growing Clout in Central Asia," New York Times, July 9, 2019
- ↑ China finds investment in Kyrgyzstan a risky necessity, Geopolitical Intelligence Services, Apr. 11, 2019
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 "ТЭЦ могут перевести на газ, если договорятся о цене топлива с «Газпромом»". 24.kg. Jan 8, 2021. Retrieved Jan 3, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Перевод ТЭЦ на газ. «Газпром» готов дать скидку 25 процентов". 24.kg. Jan 22, 2021. Retrieved Jan 3, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 33.0 33.1 "ТЭЦ Бишкека не переведут на газ. Власти и "Газпром" не смогли договориться". Kaktus Media. June 17, 2021. Retrieved Jan 3, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Смог в Бишкеке. В будущем возможен перевод ТЭЦ на газ". 24.kg. December 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 35.0 35.1 "СМОГ В БИШКЕКЕ: НУЖНА ПОМОЩЬ ООН". 24.kz. December 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Can Central Asian Cities Resolve Their Big, Ugly Smog Problems?". rferl.org. December 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Задымлённость котлоагрегатов выше нормы». На ТЭЦ Бишкека впервые за 10 лет провели технический аудит". kloop.kg. February 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Кабмин рассматривает перевод столичной ТЭЦ на газ". kabar.kg. 2023-04-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "ПЕРЕВОД БИШКЕКСКОЙ ТЭЦ НА ГАЗ ОБОЙДЕТСЯ В 4 МЛРД СОМОВ, - МИНИСТР ЭНЕРГЕТИКИ". Белый Парус. June 8, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Акылбек Жапаров назвал условие победы над смогом в Бишкеке". KAKTUSMEDIA. June 20, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datases, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
