DUSHANBE, August 21, Asia-Plus — Tajik energy experts expect electrical power deficiency to be from 2.5 billion to 3 billion kWh in autumn-winter 2007-2008.
Nozir Yodgori, a spokesman for Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding, said that in order to compensate the anticipated electricity deficiency during winter Tajikistan intends to import 600 million kWh of electricity from Uzbekistan and 300 million kWh from Kyrgyzstan that will allow bringing down the electrical power deficiency to 1.5 billion kWh.
“In summer period we produce electricity in excess and supply up to 900 million kWh to Uzbekistan,” the spokesman said.
Experts from Barqi Tojik say Turkmenistan could help Tajikistan tackle the problem of electrical power shortages during winter.
Yodgori said Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov on July 27 ordered Turkmenistan’s national power company Guvvat to project an agreement on supplying 1 billion kWh of electricity to Tajikistan in this autumn-winter period. “The only problem is unserviceable section of the power transmission line through the territory of Uzbekistan,” said the spokesman, “At present the sides are seeking solution to this problem.”
We will recall that Tajikistan’s Energy and Industries Minister Sherali Gulov met with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov in Ashgabat on July 26 this year to negotiate an agreement for import of 1 billion kWh of electrical power from Turkmenistan to compensate the anticipated electricity shortfall this winter in supplies from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, where reservoirs powering their main hydropower plants so low that the output of the hydropower stations has been seriously affected. As part of the new agreement, Turkmen specialists are to repair a section of the power=transmission line through Uzbekistan that delivers electricity from Turkmenistan.
Tajik and Uzbek negotiated reviving a regional power grid linking Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in March this year already. They talked about a 500-kilovolt power transmission line with a total length of about 370 kilometers, linking the Turkmen Mary power station with the Uzbek Qoraqol power station. This link could then be used for power imports to Tajikistan.
Tajikistan is eighth place in the world in the reserves of water and power resources, which are 527 billion kWh per annum. Although Tajikistan has the largest hydroelectricity capacity in Central Asia, most of the country has to make do with two to three hours of electricity during winter, when there is a shortfall in generation. Tajikistan will become self-sufficient in electricity and be able to export electrical power to the neighboring countries if it builds the Sangtuda and the Roghun power plants.
