DUSHANBE, January 8, Asia-Plus – Settlement of the issue of delivering Kyrgz electricity via the power systems of Uzbekistan to the central part of Tajikistan has been postponed until the spring, according to Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding.
Rashid Gulov, an engineer-in-chief with Barqi Tojik, said that negotiations had been postponed for some technical problems facing the Kyrgyz side. Gulov claims that capacity of Kyrgyzstan’s hydroelectric power stations declines in the winter period and therefore electricity generated by Kyrgyz power plants in winter is used, primarily, for domestic needs.
The Barqi Tojik official added that at present northern Tajikistan receives electrical power from Kyrgyzstan via the Batken-Konibodom electric main at the rate of 1.5 million-2 million kWh per day. “Tajikistan intends to have imported more than one billion of Kyrgyz electricity this year at rate of 1 cent per 1 kWh,” Gulov said.
Tajikistan intiatied the construction of Batken – Kanibadam electric main in 2004, as it is experiencing a shortage of electricity. 18 kilometers of the main are in the Kyrgyz territory. The main was put into operation in may 2005.
The Barqi Tojik engineer-in-chief also noted that they had failed to reach an agreement with Uzbekistan on delivery of Kyrgyz electricity via its power systems in the winter period.
We will recall that Radio Liberty quoted a Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry official as saying on November 30 last year that Uzbekistan had blocked electricity exports to power-stricken Tajikistan. Jyldyz Sarybaeva, the deputy head of the ministry”s international economic relations department, told Radio Liberty’s Kyrgyz Service that Kyrgyzstan was due to export electricity to Tajikistan under an agreement reached earlier in 2006. However, she said Tashkent has so far denied Kyrgyzstan permission to deliver the electricity through its territory.
