Massive power blackout hits Central Asia

/ Energy & Power / Tuesday, 25 January 2022 11:00

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, three Central Asian countries, were confronted with massive power cuts affecting the functioning of important infrastructures, a failure of accidental origin, according to the authorities, whose cause remained to be determined.

A large part of Almaty, economic capital of Kazakhstan, was without electricity, as well as the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, and that of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek.

A spokesman for the Kyrgyz ministry of energy stated that these cuts were due to "an accident affecting the regional energy network", without providing further details. As well the Uzbek ministry of energy said in a statement that the incident was related to an accident on the Kazakhstan grid.

According to media reports, Manas International Airport in Bishkek had to turn to a backup power source.

"The airport is operating (...) but not at full capacity," the airport said in a statement quoted by local media, adding that it could still accommodate planes. But the check-in was suspended for some flights from the Kyrgyz capital.

Also in Bishkek, media outlets reported that the power cuts had shut down pumping stations, affecting the distribution of running water.

However, after several hours, electricity was restored in Kyrgyzstan as well as in neighboring Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz energy ministry said.

"Electricity supply has resumed throughout Kyrgyzstan after a large-scale power outage," a spokeswoman for the Energy Ministry, Jiyde Zootbekova said.

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