Murghab District, VMKB, August 16, 2023 – USAID is collaborating with Pamir Energy Company (PE) to provide sustainable energy to the country’s remote regions while also helping the Government of Tajikistan to diversify its renewable energy (RE) generation capacity. For decades, remote communities in Tajikistan’s Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon (VMKB) have lived without access to reliable, affordable, and secure electricity.
The Murgab District in VMKB is situated in a harsh environment with communities living 3,600 meters above sea level in bitterly cold and inhospitable conditions. Due to its isolated location, the Murgab District is not connected to the national or regional grid. USAID partnered with PE to improve the quality of life of the residents of Murghab District by providing access to sustainable and reliable sources of energy by upgrading the capacity of a previously USAID-funded solar power plant (SPP) from 200 kW to 800 kW, with 1.2 MWh of battery storage capacity.
The Murghab SPP will provide Murghab Township with access to a stable energy supply, which will further promote economic growth and social development in the region and Tajikistan. As a result of USAID support and lessons learned from the Murghab SPP experience, the PE team gained the necessary skills and abilities to replicate the construction of similar RE power plants, thus increasing Tajikistan’s capacity to meet its clean energy goals.
The opening ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Government of Tajikistan, the U.S. Embassy, USAID/Tajikistan, and PE. During the ceremony, U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan Manuel Micaller noted, “The Murghab solar power plant demonstrates how national governments, international donor organizations and private companies can combine forces to solve some of the region’s greatest development challenges.”
This USAID-funded Murghab Solar Power Plant is the first such industrial-scale project in the country and is a successful example that can be scaled up in other areas by power utilities and donor organizations.
USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. For more information, visit: usaid.gov/tajikistan and USAID’s Facebook page: facebook.com/USAIDTajikistan.
Pamir Energy was established in 2002 as a public-private partnership to address the lack of electrification in GBAO. Over the last two decades, PE has worked with partners, including the United States Government, to improve the provision of electricity in the region. Through its work, PE has electrified 98% of GBAO, the remaining 2% that is located in highly isolated areas will be electrified by 2025 through customized off-grid solutions.
