DUSHANBE, September 14, Asia-Plus — Political will of Uzbekistan is needed for Tajikistan’s receiving electrical power from Turkmenistan, Sharifkhon Samiyev, chairman of Tajikistan’s National Utility, Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric system), announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on September 14, following the fifth session of the board of the coordination commission for Central Asia and Kazakhstan.
“An agreement on delivery of Turkmen electricity to Tajikistan was reached in August already with only a number of technical and legal issues to be resolved,” the Barqi Tojik top manger said, noting that that the Dushanbe session had made a decision to set up a working group for resolving issues of transit supply of Turkmen electricity via Uzbek power-transmission system.
For his part, Alisher Fayziyev, deputy chairman of Uzbekistan’s state-controlled energy company Uzbekenergo, noted, “We cannot quite understand position of Turkmenistan, which intends to supply electrical power to Tajikistan but does not sign an agreement on the unified power grid of the counties of the region and the Russian Federation; it withdrew the agreement in 2002.” He added that delivery of Turkmen electricity to Tajikistan through Uzbekistan would be of both political and economic benefit to his country. However, to implement this project it is necessary to resolve a number of legal and technical issues, he said.
“Neither Tajikistan no Turkmenistan has officially appealed to the Uzbek government on this subject so far,” said the Uzbek energy official, “When this official appeal is made then it will be possible to resolve technical issues.”
Samiyev noted that many things have changed in the region since 2002. “New power plants have been built and many power grids have become obsolete,” said Tajikistan’s national utility head. “As soon as the political aspect of the Turkmen electricity supply problem is resolved, I will be able to say with confidence that we will resolve technical issues before winter.”
The session considered issues related to coordination of use of energy resources of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, reaching agreement on use of water and energy resources in spring-summer period and tackling problems connected with shortage of power in autumn-winter period.
Revival of a regional power grid linking Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan was also discussed at the session.
Recent visit Sharifkhon Samiyev, to Turkmenistan has resulted in signing of an agreement on delivery of 1 billion kWh of Turkmen electricity to Tajikistan in autumn-winter 2007-2008.
To revive a regional power grid linking Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan it is necessary to repair a 500-kilovolt power-transmission line between Turkmen Mary power station and the Uzbek Qoraqol power station.
We will recall that a Tajik government delegation led by Energy and Industries Minister Sherali Gulov on July 24 met with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov in Ashgabat to discuss the possibility of importing 1 billion electricity from Turkmenistan in the autumn-winter period to compensate for the anticipated shortfall in supplies from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, where reservoirs are so low that the output of hydroelectric power stations (HPSs) has been seriously affected.
To cover annual winter shortages of electricity Tajikistan needs on average from 3 billion to 3.5 billion kWh of electricity.
