DUSHANBE, January 27, 2009, Asia-Plus – By president’s instruction electricity rationing will be introduced in Dushanbe today night, beginning at 11:00 pm, according to a statement released by Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding today.
The measures seeking to curb the city’s increasing rising electricity consumption will result in the supply of daily electricity being reduced in the city to 15 hours. Electricity supplies will be cut off from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am and for three hours in the daytime.
Electricity supplies to the regions that currently have electricity only some two-three hours per day will be reduced as well. The Khatlon and Sughd provinces will receive 3.5 million kWh of electricity per day each and districts subordinate to the center (RRPs) will receive totaling 2 million kWh of electricity per day.
According to Barqi Tojik, the urgent measures are introduced in connection with Uzbekistan’s decision to interrupt Turkmen electricity supplies to Tajikistan.
We will recall that Uzbekistan interrupted Turkmen power supplies to Tajikistan on January 1, forcing the country to keep the Norak and Qairoqqum hydropower stations operating at maximum level, using water from their reservoirs for production of electricity. The present rate of water inflow into the reservoir powering the Norak hydroelectric power station (HPS) is 122 cubic meters per second while the rate of reservoir outflow used for production of electricity is 440 cubic meters per second.
It is the first time over the past decade that shortage of water at the Norak reservoir has amounted to 8.5 meters that is equal to loss of 1 billion kWh of electricity, according to the statement. The statement said that they have kept the Norak HPS operating in maximum level since December 27, 2008.
To provide Dushanbe with enough electrical power Barqi Tojik has reduced electricity supplies to the Tajik aluminum smelter by 30 percent, the statement said. Since January 1, 2009, the plant has received electricity supplies 6.5 million kWh less than its due.
As it had been reported earlier, under the provisions of an agreement signed between Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in 2007, Turkmenistan will annually supply 1.2 billion kWh of electricity to Tajikistan in autumn-winter season during the period till 2012. According to Barqi Tojik, Tajikistan pays to Turkmenistan for electricity at the rate of 3 cents per 1 kWh. Besides, Tajikistan should pay to Uzbekistan for Turkmen electricity transit at the rate of 0.3 cent per 1 kWh.
We will recall that speaking to reporters in Dushanbe on January 26, Deputy Energy and Industries Minister, Poulod Muhiddinov, said an agreement on delivery of Turkmen electrical power to Tajikistan via Uzbek power systems was reached in Almaty, Kazakhstan last October. Under this agreement, Turkmenistan was supposed to supply electrical power to Tajikistan from November 1, 2008 to May 1, 2009 at the rate of 200 million kWh per month. Turkmenistan began supplying electrical power to Tajikistan on November 1, 2008, while on January 1, 2009, Uzbekistan interrupted Turkmen power supplies to Tajikistan.
“The Uzbek side blamed the interruption of Turkmen electricity deliveries to Tajikistan on a malfunction at the Uzbek Qaraqul substation, which is used for Turkmen power deliveries to Tajikistan. “The Uzbek side refused our proposal to visit the substation to get acquainted with the problem and assist with making repairs to it,” the deputy minister. “Earlier, representatives from Uzbek energy holding company, Uzbekenergo, said that they would not interrupt the Turkmen power deliveries to Tajikistan if Tajikistan signed an agreement with Uzbekistan on natural-gas imports for 2009 at the rate of $240 per 1,000 cubic meters. Although the agreement setting this price was signed on December 31, 2008, Uzbek power authorities interrupted Turkmen electricity deliveries to Tajikistan on January 1, 2009, breaking their word,” he added.
