DUSHANBE, September 27, Asia-Plus – This summer, Tajikistan has been able to export only 900 million kWh of electricity against the originally planned 1.5 billion kWh, according to Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding.
Rashid Gulov, the deputy engineer-in-chief at Barqi Tojik, said that Tajikistan was scheduled to supply electricity generated by its largest hydroelectric power station Norak to Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan by the end of the summer and autumn season. “However, it has been able to export only 900 million kWh of electricity to Uzbekistan,” Gulov said.
“This year, the water level in the rivers has been low and it has not allowed generating more electricity for export,” Gulov said, noting that the highest rate of generation of electricity in Tajikistan was reported in 1996 – 18 billion kWh of electricity a year. “Since that time, this record has not yet been broken,” said Gulov, “This year, we expect our power plants to generate 17 billion kWh of electric power”
Gulov added that Tajik electric systems are obliged to introduce electricity rationing for the public in the autumn-winter seasons.
According to him, of 500 million kWh of electricity Tajikistan was supposed to receive from Uzbekistan in the autumn-winter season of 2005-2006, the republic has received 384 million kWh. “The remaining 116 kWh will be supplied to Tajikistan in the beginning of the coming winter,” said Gulov, “And by the end of the year, Tajikistan will have concluded a new agreement with Uzbekistan on import of electricity from this country in early 2007.” “Under agreement reached between the two countries Uzbekistan supplies electricity to Tajikistan in the winter period at the rate of 1.5 cents per one kWh, and Tajikistan exports electricity to Uzbekistan in the summer period at the rate of 1.00 cent per one kWh.”
Tajik Aluminum Plant (TadAZ) has concluded an agreement with Uzbekistan on import of 2 billion kWh for its needs from this autumn to the end of the next spring.
According to figures provided by the State Committee for Statistics, over the first seven months of this year, Tajikistan has generated 9.8 billion kWh of electricity, which is 1.3 percent fewer compared to the same period of last year.
According to experts from Barqi Tojik, Tajikistan is eighth place in the world in the reserves of water and power resources, which are 527 billion kWh per annum.
