DUSHANBE, November 13, 2009, Asia-Plus — Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) has denied a statement by Kazakhstan’s national power network management company (KEGOC — Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company) about “uncontracted” withdrawal by Tajikistan of electricity from the Central Asian unified power grid as ‘absolutely unfounded.’
Reports released by some media yesterday say that the KEGOC top manager Kanat Bozumbayev told reporters on November 12 that Kazakhstan will pull out of the Central Asian unified grid if Tajikistan does not stop siphoning off more electricity from the power grid than it has been allotted. “Today, Tajikistan begins siphoning off electricity from the unified power grid without agreements and payments,” said Bozumbayev, “If Tajikistan continues acting irresponsibly in the future as well, we will have no choice but to leave the regime of parallel work.”
In the meantime, Nozirjon Yodgori, a spokesman for Barqi Tojik, told Asia-Plus today that information about uncontracted withdrawal of electricity from the Central Asian unified power grid does not correspondent to the facts.
“Tajikistan does not have technical feasibility to siphon off electricity from the Central Asian power grid,” said Yodgori, “All the electrical power currently being distributed to the population and enterprises in the country is produced in Tajikistan.”
He noted that since October 29, the country’s electricity-distribution system has been operating in an autonomous regime, independently of the Central Asian unified power grid.
According to Barqi Tojik, the country’s power plants yesterday generated 46.788 million kWh of electricity.
We will recall that Tajikistan introduced electricity rationing in rural areas on November 10. Under the resolution issued by Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding, only seven hours of electricity will be available in rural areas. The rationing does not affect the capital Dushanbe as well as regional and district administrative centers.
