Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov has ordered to fully modernize the Bishkek thermal power plant after an explosion at the old plant on February 2 left parts of the capital city without hot water and heat.
Three workers of the power plant were seriously injured in the explosion.
President Japarov visited the plant as its staff worked to repair the damage.
In an interview with the Kabar news agency, Japarov said he has given instructions to completely modernize the thermal power plant. “This will require a lot of money, but there is no other way out. We will have to find it,” the president said, adding that the power plant was launched back in 1961 and its equipment is very outdated. “Despite this, we continue to operate it, repairing it every summer to get through the heating season,” Japarov said.
The accident occurred in the old part of the power plant, which was not modernized by China’s Tebian Electric Apparatus Stock Co. Ltd. (TBEA) back in 2017. That modernization cost $386 million.
In the February 2 interview, President Japarov said that instead of partially reconstructing the power plant for $386 million, it was necessary to completely renovate it or build a new power plant.
