Tajikistan has resumed the supply of electricity to neighboring Afghanistan, Nozir Yodgori, a spokesman for Barqi Tojik (Tajikistan’s national power utility company), told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to him, the electricity deliveries to Afghanistan have resumed after water levels in the reservoir powering the Nurek hydroelectric power plant (HPP) have reached the required mark.
Currently, Afghanistan is reportedly receiving daily up to 1.3 million kWh of Tajik electricity.
“If the opportunity arises, we will increase electricity deliveries to Afghanistan,” Yodgori added.
Meanwhile, Tajikistan is also considering the possibility of resuming the supply of electricity to Uzbekistan.
Recall, Tajikistan suspended the supply of electric power to Uzbekistan and Afghanistan in July this year.
Over the first six months of this year, Tajikistan has supplied 546.6 million kWh of electricity to Afghanistan and 356.3 million kWh of electricity to Uzbekistan.
In 2019, Tajikistan supplied US$60.6 million worth of 1.458.2 billion kWh of electricity to Afghanistan and US$28.5 million worth of 1.425.1 billion kWh of electricity to Uzbekistan.
Barqi Tojik said in late July that it could impose restrictions on the supply of electricity due to a dramatic drop in water levels in the Nurek reservoir.
In a statement released on July 28, the Government said low water levels in the Nurek reservoir were caused by little snowfall in the mountains during the winter.
The government said the limit on electricity supply will aim at saving water in the reservoir, which is used by the Nurek hydropower plant.
According to the statement, the water level in the Nurek reservoir in late July and early August was 17-meters lower compared to previous years. Fifty percent less water was reportedly running in the Vakhsh and Panj rivers that feed into the reservoir.
The statement said that, if low water levels continue, it may create problems providing electricity to the population and industrial facilities across the country in the autumn and winter.
On September 3, Barqi Tojik said water levels in the reservoir powering the Nurek hydropower plant have reached the required mark of 910 meters above sea level.
