President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the Topalang hydroelectric power station

On November 16, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the Topalang hydroelectric power station in the Surkhondarya region to oversee the ongoing modernization efforts, as reported by the President's press service.

During the visit, the head of state familiarized himself with the operational procedures at the Topalang HPP. Subsequently, a presentation was delivered highlighting plans to augment hydropower capacity leveraging the Topalang river. The presentation outlined 20 prospective projects slated for development in the upper reaches of the river in the upcoming years, collectively generating 264 megawatts of power.

President Mirziyoyev further emphasized the potential for constructing micro hydroelectric power stations across various streams and neighborhoods, stressing the opportunity for widespread implementation.

Additionally, the president received information regarding coal mining prospects in Surkhandarya. The region reportedly possesses reserves of 82 million tons of coal, with only 541,000 tons currently extracted—a figure expected to rise to 2 million tons in the future. The need for specialized training programs in this field was also highlighted.

Background information on the Topalang hydropower plant revealed its commissioning in 2006 with two units totaling 30 megawatts in capacity. During the president's previous visit in April 2019, he instructed the construction of two additional hydro units, necessitating the elevation of the reservoir dam by an additional 20 meters. This enhancement raised the capacity from 380 million to 500 million cubic meters. Employing modern technologies, construction and assembly operations resulted in the installation of two units with a combined capacity of 145 megawatts.

Consequently, the overall capacity of the Topalang HPP now stands at 175 megawatts, making it the country's second-largest station, following the Chorvoq HPP.