During a meeting with residents of the city of Nurek, President Emomali Rahmon on October 24 confirmed the existence of restrictions on electricity consumption in the country that has recently been categorically denied by representatives of Barqi Tojik (Tajikistan’s national power utility company).
Emomali Rahmon visited Nurek to attend reintroduction of the modernized Unit 1 of the Nurek Hydroelectric Power Plant into operation.
The head of state stated that there is restriction on electricity consumption in the country. At the same time, he noted that today there is an energy consumption restriction event in the developed countries of the world.
In this regard, the president called on residential consumers to be frugal with electricity consumption.
According to him, the significant improvement in the country's energy supply will come after the complete modernization of the Nurek hydropower plant (spring 2029 – Asia-Plus).
Meanwhile, residential consumers in rural areas have been faced with limited electricity supply since early autumn for the third consecutive year.
Residents of some rural areas of Tajikistan complained this year that they have not had electricity from 8:00am to 5:00 pm since September 21. Complaints have come practically from all regions of the country: Panjakent; Vakhsh; Tojikobod; Spitamen; Vahdat; Bobojon-Ghafourov; Roudaki; Hisor; Shahrinav; and some other districts and cities.
However, Barqi Tojik has said that there are no restrictions on electricity consumption in the country. The company claimed that power interruptions have been linked only to work on overhauling production and transmission infrastructure.
A statement released by Barqi Tojik on October 13, in particular, says seasonal power shortage this year is projected to amount to more than one billion kWh.
The power shortage in autumn-winter period results from decreasing water inflow in the Vakhsh River and increase in consumption of electricity by residential customers and socio-economic sector.
Barqi Tojik notes that water inflow in Vakhsh River amounts to 2,000-2,200 cubic meters per second in summer period and it declines to 150-200 cubic meters per second in winter period.
Measures rationing electricity supplies are usually introduced in all regions except Dushanbe and regional administrative centers and they seek to curb the country's rising electricity consumption. The rationing results in the supply of daily electrical power being reduced to 12 or 10 hours. In addition to curbing rising consumption, the move also stems from a decline in the water level in the country's reservoirs powering the main hydroelectric power plants.
