More reliable heating for Kyrgyzstan 

The temperature in Talayhan Tutgucheva’s three-room flat rarely rises above 16-18°C, but she says the worst is when the heating disappears altogether. She lives in the city of Osh, southern Kyrgyzstan. The flats have district heating, but the supply situation is far from satisfactory.

"In January the heating was off for almost the whole month,” complains Talayhan Tutgucheva. “At night, temperatures dropped to –30°C and the only thing we could do was to turn on an electric heater – but when everyone does that, the electrical system becomes overloaded.”

Gas from Uzbekistan

The local heat and power plant runs on gas, which is often in short supply in Kyrgyzstan.

Kuvanichbek Turdubaev, president of the Organisation of Private Collectives in Osh explains:
"Our gas is supplied from Uzbekistan, but if the government fails to pay Uzbekistan cuts off the gas supplies. Consequently the heat and power plant has to switch to mazut, a heavy fuel oil, before it can continue producing heat and electricity, and the switch-over causes disruption to the supplies."

Kyrgyzstan is struggling to overcome the legacy of the Soviet era - not only the lack of technological advancement, but also the system of payment, where the individual consumer pays a fixed price rather than for actual consumption.

Social imbalance

Together with Kyrgyzstan’s Energy Agency, COWI and Ramboll has developed a strategy to supply heating to blocks of flats in the capital Bishkek and the cities of Osh and Tokmok for the World Bank.

Project manager Svend Erik Mikkelsen says: “There is a lack of heat counters and water meters, the supply grid is outdated and plants are in a state of disrepair. A further problem is that the 15 per cent of the population with district heating receive about DKK 200 million in support through cross-subsidies. This system needs to be overhauled and payment introduced for actual consumption per block of flats”

Who wants to own the energy sector?

COWI’s partner Ularbek Mateev, who heads the Energy Agency in Kyrgyzstan, says:

"The COWI project is valuable in that it provides us with an independent assessment of our energy systems. But at present we are unable to finance the investments recommended by COWI. For instance, World Bank assistance is conditional on privatisation of the energy sector and the introduction of a free market economy. But who wants to own an energy sector that is in disrepair and must subsidise heat supplies?" asks Mateev.

Svend Erik Mikkelsen adds that the most important first step is the introduction of user payment based on actual consumption at realistic prices, which requires the installation of meters for each block. This in turn would likely lead to lower consumption, which may force some plants to close. If the supply system is not to collapse altogether, attracting investments is imperative.

By: Jesper With
Published: 31.03.2004