Kyrgyz state-owned coal producer Kyrgyzkomur has started supplying households and retail users in preparation for the heating season, the government has said.
Kyrgyzkomur has begun work on delivering roughly 25,000t of coal to the central Naryn region, one of the country's coldest regions with long winters and rural settlements that rely heavily on coal for household heating.
The local mayor's office in Naryn will organise four municipal coal bases to ensure residents receive the necessary fuel. Local authorities also plan on receiving 13,000t of additional coal for municipal enterprises.
Deliveries have also begun in the At-Bashinsky district — the southernmost and coldest part of Naryn — for residents and local institutions, Kyrgyzkomur said.
The target is to deliver around 21,000t for residential use this year and 4,700t for institutions, according to the producer, with around 1,600t already delivered. The producer noted that while coal is already available at warehouses at At-Bashinsky, local demand has yet to pick up.
Coal in the region is sold at prices set by the government's anti-monopoly service — 6,800 soms/t ($77.76/t) for coal from the Kara-Keche mine and 4,700 soms/t for coal from the Turuk mine. Both mines are in the Naryn region.
The government has maintained control over domestic coal sales since introducing a new price regulation system last month, aimed at making the fuel more affordable during the winter.
