DUSHANBE, August 1, 2008, Asia-Plus — The fourth conference of member countries of the Central Asia-South Asia Regional Electricity Market (CASAREM) power transmission project will be held in Islamabad, Pakistan from August 3-5, according to Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding.
We will recall that Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, and Afghanistan and Pakistan in South Asia have been pursuing the development of a regional electricity market.
The source at Barqi Tojik said that the sides intend to sign an intergovernmental agreement on working out the project for the Central Asia-SouthAsian-1000 (CASA-1000) power grid and further development of the Central-Asia-South Asia regional electricity market.
The third CASAREM conference was held in Kabul, Afghanistan on November 14-16, 2007. It followed earlier conferences held in Dushanbe and Islamabad. Participants at the Kabul meeting reviewed reports on the technical and economic feasibility and institutional aspects of the project which had been prepared with support from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. At the end of the meeting, CASAREM member countries made key decisions to move ahead with the project, which could ultimately trigger much larger development of energy resources of Central Asia and expanded electricity trade with South Asia.
The conference ended with signing of an agreement to implement a US$500 million electricity connection between Central Asia and South Asia. In its first stage, the project would transfer around 1300 Megawatts of electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyz Republic to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In the meantime, according to the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI), a power trading agreement between Tajikistan and Afghanistan will also be discussed at the Islamabad conference at an initiative of the Asian Development Bank.
We will recall that the agreement was supposed to be signed in Dushanbe on June 20 but signing was postponed for later time, as it was noted that time, “for technical reasons.” Speaking to reporters, Tajik Minister of Energy and Industries Gul Sherali noted on July 22 that Tajikistan itself has to purchase electricity generated by the Sangtuda-1 station at the rate of 3.1 cents per one kWh, and therefore, the MoEI had offered the Afghan side to purchase electricity at the rate of 3.5 cents. “The Afghan side said that the agreement will be signed after the proposed prices is discussed by Afghan specialists,” the minister said.
Under the agreement, electrical power will be transmitted to the neighboring country via a 220kV power-transmission line Sangtuda-1 – Pul-e Khumri (Afghanistan). Construction of this power grid is funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which has allocated a $50 million loan for the project. The project includes construction of the power grid and modernization of one of units at the Golovnaya hydropower plant in Sarband, Khatlon province. The estimated budget for construction of the power-transmission line alone is some $23 million. Construction of 120-kilometer power grid Sangtuda-1 – Pul-e Khumri is supposed to start this autumn and be finished in spring 2010.
In 2010-2015, Tajikistan will supply electrical power to Afghanistan only during summer months, and only with introduction into operation of the first unit of the Roghun hydroelectric power station, Tajik electricity supplies to Afghanistan will be year-round.
