BISHKEK: Kyrgyzstan’s natural gas consumption has reached 303 million cubic meters as of October 1, 2024, marking an increase of 55.9 million cubic meters compared to the same period in the previous year.

According to Trend News Agency, via the Ministry of Energy, the projected gas import for 2024 is set at 500 million cubic meters. The country’s gas supply rate has increased from 38 percent in 2023 to 40 percent in the first half of 2024, with 402,000 subscribers currently connected to the gas network. Efforts to improve gas supply include plans to extend services to five residential areas, with four districts already connected, adding 13,454 new subscribers.

A project focusing on subsidized financing for gas supply has been approved for Bishkek and the Chuy region. As of October 1, 2024, 167 subscribers have been connected under this scheme, with 19.4 million soms (approximately $226,900) allocated for these connections. This initiative is part of a larger project worth 1 billion soms ($11.6 million), fe
aturing an 8 percent interest rate over a maximum period of 24 months.

Earlier in the week, Akylbek Japarov, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, announced an investment of approximately $374 million by Russian Gazprom to upgrade Kyrgyzstan’s gas infrastructure. Gazprom Kyrgyzstan, a fully owned subsidiary of Gazprom, manages the country’s gas transportation and distribution systems, focusing on supply, distribution, and the expansion of gas pipeline networks and storage facilities.