KHOROG, November 10, 2009, Asia-Plus — The Pamir Energy Company (PamirEnergy) is currently providing regular power supplies to its customers in Gorno Badakhshan.
The PamirEnergy communications and public affairs officer Abdullo Amonbekov told Asia-Plus today that all residential customers in the city of Khorog, administrative center of Gorno Badakhshan and the districts of Ishakshim, Roshtqala, Rushan, and Sugnan are currently having electricity day and night.
“If power losses are minimized, the company will be able to provide its customers with electricity in the same volume in the winter period as well,” said Amonbekov, “Over the past three years, we have replaced old electricity meters at households with the new ones that has allowed reducing power losses on average from 38 to 22 percent; in Khorog, power losses have reduced to 19.8 percent by September this year.”
According to him, reduction of power losses allowed the company to save 561,000 kWh of electricity in September and 255,000 kWh of electricity in October.
We will recall that last year, the PamirEnergy customers also had electricity practically day and night, while in other regions of Tajikistan electricity rationing was introduced.
PamirEnergy provides electricity supplies to the city of Khorog and the districts of Ishkashim, Roshtqala, Rushan and Shugnan, while the Vanj and Darvoz districts receive electricity from the Norak hydroelectricity power plant (HPP). The company does not yet have an opportunity to construct the power transmission line from the Pamir-1 HPP to the Murgab district.
PamirEnergy, which is 70% owned by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) and 30% by the World Bank’s private finance division, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), has a 25 year concession on the assets formerly under the management of Barqi Tojik in GBAO. In exchange for this concession (management right), PamirEnergy invests in completing the Pamir hydropower station, rehabilitating power generation, transmission and distribution assets, and improving the management of the company.
We will recall that Tajikistan officially introduced electricity rationing in rural areas on November 10. Under the resolution issued by Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding, rural areas of the country will have electricity seven hours per day. The measures do not affect the capital Dushanbe as well as regional and district administrative centers.
