DUSHANBE, January 28, 2011, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan has lost 150 million U.S. dollars due to last year’s escapage, according to the Ministry of energy and Industry (MoEI).
Last summer, the country’s power losses caused by escapage were estimated at 5 billion kWh of electricity that could be supplied to other countries, the source at a MoEI said.
“Current price for one kWh of electricity exported to other countries is 3 cents and Tajikistan could raise US$150 million from exporting those 5 billion kWh of electric power,” said he, “But due to lack of product market, not only the Norak hydroelectric power plant (HPP) but also other power plants of Vakhsh Cascade had to discharge water. A total loss was estimated at nearly 7.5 billion kWh.”
Tajikistan failed to supply electricity to Kazakhstan and the south of Russia last summer because Uzbekistan withdrew from the Central Asian power system.
The 220 kV Tajikistan-Afghanistan power transmission line is expected to be introduced into operation this year and Tajikistan will be able to export surplus electric power to Afghanistan starting from May. On the territory of Tajikistan, the line starts in the Sanguda-1 hydroelectric plant and ends on the Tajik-Afghan border. The 220 kV Tajikistan-Afghanistan power transition line is 278 kilometers long, and 116 kilometers of it lies on Tajik territory and 162 kilometers on Afghan territory.
Besides, construction of a 500 kV power transmission line, Khujand-Datka-Almaty (Kazakhstan), will start in prospect. This line will allow supplying Tajik electricity via Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan, the source noted.
He added that the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA 1000) would supply summer surplus power from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to the Afghan capital of Kabul and the northwest of Pakistan. The planned Project would 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; as well as the necessary electricity sub-stations in Kabul, Peshawar and Sangtuda (in Tajikistan). Several international financial institutions, including the World Bank Group and the Islamic Development Bank, are supporting this effort.
