A meeting of the Intergovernmental Council for the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Trade and Transmission Project (CASA 1000) has taken place in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The meeting participants included power ministers of the four member nations – Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the World Bank (WB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the United State Agency for International Development (USAID).
Speaking at the meeting, Tajik Minister of Energy and Water Resources Usmonali Usmonzoda called on representatives of the member nations to combine efforts and ensure the beginning of the commercial implementation of the project, according to the Tajik MFA information department.
It was also noted that during a quadrilateral summit of CASA-1000 member nations that was held in Dushanbe on July 6 the heads of the CASA-1000 member nations had determined the vector of activities and urged the CASA 1000 Intergovernmental Council to speed up the phase of implementation of the project.
The meeting participants reportedly signed a document approving the results of the tender on construction of Afghanistan’s part of the project.
The CASA-1000 project aims at developing energy corridor and land connectivity between Tajikistan, 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.
The CASA 1000 project is scheduled to be completed in 2020. The total cost of the project amounts to 1.7 billion U.S. dollars.
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 includes: 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).
