DUSHANBE, August 10, 2011, Asia-Plus – Export of Tajik energy to Afghanistan using the 220 kilovolt Sangtuda-Puli Humri power line, which will become operational soon, can be considered Tajikistan’s significant achievement in working up Afghan market, ex-head of the Parliament’s Committee for Energy, Industry, Construction and Communications Mirzosharif Islomiddinov said in his interview to AP.
He believes that in the nearest future Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan will divide Afghan energy market and this issue will be conformed with countries of the region without any hot discussions and disputes.
“Before the collapse of Central Asia’s unified energy system in 2009, Tajikistan used to export nearly 750-800 million kilowatt/hours of energy to neighboring countries in summer period. However, in the past three years Tajikistan suffers severe losses since our hydropower stations are forced to discharge water in summer period as there are no power lines to export it to neighboring countries,” he said.
He believes that with its powerful power line Uzbekistan dominates at Afghan energy market. However, he is confident that in the future Tajikistan will take up the lead in this sphere since it will be able to export cheap energy to Afghanistan.
“This process will also be supported by the construction of new power lines in Tajikistan and implementation of CASA-1000 project, which is expected to solve the problem with export of Tajik and Kyrgyz energy to Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Islomiddinov has said.
