DUSHANBE, December 5, 2013, Asia-Plus – A consultative meeting on assessment studies for the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Trade and Transmission Project (CASA 1000) took place at the Ministry of energy and Water Resources in Dushanbe on December 4.
Organized by the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan under support of the Tajik Branch of the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC) and NGO Kuhiston (Tajikistan), the meeting reportedly discussed the preliminary report on the Regional Environmental Assessment (EA), the Social Impact Assessment, and the draft Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the CASA 1000 Project.
The CASA 1000 Project is expected to develop the necessary physical infrastructure and create the institutional and legal framework to transmit surplus power available from existing generation facilities in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The physical infrastructure for CASA 1000 is likely to include: a 500 kV high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system between Tajikistan and Pakistan through Afghanistan; an AC transmission link from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to connect to the HVDC line from Tajikistan to South Asia; and the necessary electricity sub-stations in Kabul, Peshawar and Sangtuda (in Tajikistan).
Similar meetings will be held in Khujand (Sughd province) on December 6 and in Qurghon Teppa (Khatlon province) on December 9.
We will recall that representatives from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan gathered in Islamabad, Pakistan in September for a ministerial meeting to discuss financing and environmental and social assessments related to the CASA 1000.
The sides reportedly signed an inter-governmental council (IGC) resolution. Through the IGC, the four countries are working together to arrive at decisions on project implementation and operation, policies and rules, and technical, safety and environmental standards.
