Barqi Tojik (Tajikistan’s national integrated power company) has called conditions for avoidance of introducing power rationing in the country during autumn-winter 2017-2018.
Barqi Tojik notes in its statement that due to the existing opportunities electricity rationing imposed annually over the winter months may be scrapped this year and it will provide the population with regular electricity during the whole autumn-winter period.
But for this, residential customers should use electricity rationally and economically.
“Rational use of electrical power and timely payment for electricity consumption are signs of high culture and civil responsibility of each resident and ensure stable operation of power system during the autumn-winter period. We are sure that residential customers will be in earnest about rational use of electricity and will go through the winter without problems,” says the statement.
The company further recounted achievements made in the country’s energy sector in recent years. The Sangtuda-1 and Sangtuda-2 hydropower plants have been built and the majority of the planned more than 350 small hydropower plants have already been introduced into operation, according to the statement.
Recall, speaking at a meeting with local businesspeople and investors, President Emomali Rahmon noted on October 14 that that if everybody pulls their weight and the private sector does its best not to waste resources, the amount of electricity generated would be enough to go around for everybody.
Electricity rationing last year was introduced on November 1 and was lifted on January 14, 2017. Rationing resulted in the supply of daily electricity being reduced to 10-6 hours.
Electricity rationing did not affect Dushanbe, regional administrative centers and large cities.
The power rationing also did not affect the majority of districts of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO). In GBAO, Tajikistan’s only private power company, Pamir Energy Company (Pamir Energy), operates. This company is responsible for electricity deliveries in the region and the majority of districts in Gorno Badakhshan now have regular power supply.
Measures rationing electricity supplies are usually introduced in the regions and seek to curb the country's rising electricity consumption. The rationing is introduced in October or November and lasts through March or April next year. The rationing results in the supply of daily electrical power being reduced to 12 or 10 hours. In addition to curbing rising consumption, the move also stems from a decline in the water level in the country's reservoirs powering the main hydroelectric power plants.
