DUSHANBE, March 12, Asia-Plus – Power shortages have affected Tajikistan’s electricity-heavy aluminum production.
Tajik power holding Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) has reduced the supply of daily electrical power by 3.5 million kWh.
A source at the Tajik power holding said that the move has stemmed from a decline in the water level in the reservoir of the Norak hydroelectric power station (HPS) that, in its turns, caused shortage of electrical power throughout the republic. “Thereby Barqi Tojik intends to stabilize electricity supplies to the strategic sites and the population,” the source said.
“Since last week, the supply of daily electrical power from Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan increased from 3 million kWh to 8 million kWh,” said the source, “However, the electricity rationing remains in effect in Tajikistan because Uzbekistan has reduced electricity supplies to Tajikistan from 7 million kWh per day to 3 million kWh per day.”
“Barqi Tojik top manager Sharifkhon Samiyev is currently in Tashkent to negotiate with UzbekEnergo (Uzbek electric systems) the possibility of increasing Uzbek electricity supplies to energy-hungry Tajikistan,” the source said.
Samiyev left for Tashkent on March 12 for a two-day meeting.
According to him, Tajikistan has received totaling 591 million KWh of electricity from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan since the beginning of the year, which is 337 million kWh fewer than in the same period of 2006.
The source added that compared to 2006, Tajikistan’s daily requirements in electricity increased by 4.5 million kWh or 7 percent.
According to Barqi Tojik, Dushanbe currently gets electrical power at the rate of 6 million kWh per day, Sughd province – 4 million kWh per day, Khatlon – 5.4 million kWh per day and districts subordinate to the center (RRP) – 2.5 million kWh per day.
