DUSHANBE, November 9, 2009, Asia-Plus — Uzbek authorities’ decision to withdraw from the Central Asian power grid has been provoked by Tajikistan itself, Georgy Petrov, the head of the hydropower engineering laboratory within the Institute for Ecology, Hydropower Engineering and Water Problems of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
“Announcing launch of a new electricity line connecting the northern province of Sughd with the south without proper coverage of real appropriation and principles of work of this line in media, Tajikistan has urged Uzbekistan on such a decision,” Petrov said.
We will recall that Tajik authorities announced in late October that a new electricity line connecting northern regions of Tajikistan with the south will started operating on November 1.
“Uzbekistan that has not had all necessary information about the new 500-kilovolt power line South-North has interpreted this decision as Tajikistan’s real step towards withdrawal from the Central Asian power grid,” said the expert, “As is known, withdrawal of any member nation from the Central Asian power grid is fraught with accidents for domestic power systems of other member nations.”
“It is not the first statement by Uzbekistan about its intention to pull out of the Central Asian power grid and it should not be cause for concern. There ought not to worry even about the fact that Uzbeks will break the region’s energy ring and Tajikistan will not receive Turkmen electricity this winter.”
According to him, the Turkmen electricity is not so important for Tajikistan, because Tajikistan is now able to meet its requirements in electricity by itself. “It is just necessary to organize normal work of the domestic power system of the country,” Petrov said.
