Russia has expressed wish to invest in construction of regional power transmission line from Central Asia to South Asia (CASA 1000), Afghan Minister of Energy and Water, Ali Ahmad Osmani, said on the sidelines of the EXPO 2017 international exhibition in the Kazakh capital, Astana, according to CA-News.
According to him, the Ministry of Energy and Water of Afghanistan has received a letter from the Russian side signed by Russian deputy energy minister, which tells of the Russian side’s intention to participate in the CASA 1000 project.
“Russia intends to participate in export of electricity to South Asia because it has at its disposal the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) in Tajikistan,” the Afghan minister noted.
Recall, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon together with leaders and high-ranking state officials of Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan on May 12, 2016 participated in the foundation stone laying ceremony of CASA-1000 Project, envisaging transmission of surplus electric power available in summer months (May 1 to September 30) from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade (Casa-1000) Project demonstrates landmark cooperation among Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The modern and efficient CASA-1000 electricity transmission system will help transform the region and signify an important step toward realizing the planned Central Asia-South Asia Regional Electricity Market (CASAREM). The CASAREM initiative will help not only these four countries, but also improve the electricity systems and develop inter-regional cooperation between Central Asia and South Asia.
A high level Inter-Governmental Council has been established to help make CASA-1000 happen and regional cooperation in the first phases of the project has been excellent. Through the Inter-Governmental Council, the countries are working together to make decisions about project implementation and operation, common policies and rules, and use consistent technical, safety, and environmental standards. They are also planning consultations with the public and a wide-ranging community benefit-sharing plan.
The CASA 1000 project is scheduled to be completed in 2020. The total cost of the project amounts to US$1.17 billion.
The 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).
