Kyrgyzstan warns power supply at risk as demand hits record

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyzstan urged residents to use less electricity on Friday, warning that its power grid is struggling under the weight of record-high winter demand.

The energy ministry warned that unless people reduced electricity use there would be power supply "interruptions", without elaborating, and that hydropower production was at risk.

All of Central Asia is facing energy shortages, in part due to ageing infrastructure, but also due to water shortages curbing the electricity output at hydroelectric plants.

"Consumption of electricity in Kyrgyzstan reached a record level on December 11 and 12. Due to the arrival of winter and a drop in temperatures, the population is using more electricity than normal," Kyrgyzstan's energy ministry said in a statement.

The landlocked, mountainous country gets some 90 percent of its electricity from hydropower, making it especially vulnerable to water shortages.

The largest hydropower plant in Kyrgyzstan is in the central city of Toktogul. That facility alone provides some 40 percent of electricity in the country.

"If electricity consumption continues at this rate, the volume of water (in the Toktogul reservoir) could plunge to around six billion cubic meters before the end of the winter season," the ministry warned.

This could result in the reservoir not having enough water to produce the required level of energy, threatening power cuts that could be debilitating for the Central Asian country's economy.

As demand increases, hydroelectric plants can adjust the flow of water accordingly to maintain a stable supply of electricity.