DUSHANBE, January 31, 2014, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan and the World Bank will sign an agreement on financing of the Tajik part of the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA 1000) before April this year, Tajik Minister of Energy and Water Resources Usmonali Usmonov told journalists in Dushanbe on January 30.
According to him, the agreement between the Government of Tajikistan and the World Bank on the construction of the Tajik part of the power transmission line will be discussed at a meeting that will take place in Washington in early February. Representatives of the countries participating in the project as well as representatives of the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and other investors will participate in the meeting.
“This agreement is expected to be signed before April this year,” the minister said, noting that IsDB has expressed intention to finance the Tajik part of the power transmission line.
Besides, a number of Arabic funds will also invest in the project, Usmonov added.
CASA 1000 is designed to transmit 1,300MW of surplus electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan through Afghanistan, which is going to consume 300MW, to Pakistan.
The CASA 1000 Project is expected to develop the necessary physical infrastructure and create the institutional and legal framework to transmit surplus power available from existing generation facilities in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The physical infrastructure for CASA 1000 is likely to include: a 500 kV high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system between Tajikistan and Pakistan through Afghanistan; an AC transmission link from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to connect to the HVDC line from Tajikistan to South Asia; and the necessary electricity sub-stations in Kabul, Peshawar and Sangtuda (in Tajikistan).
