Aktualno.uz, citing the Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan Zhyrabek Mirzamahmudov, says Tajikistan will rejoin the Central Asian unified power grid in the near future.
“We plan to connect Tajikistan to the Central Asian unified power grid this month,” Uzbek minister was quoted as stating at the international energy conference in Tashkent yesterday.
Recall, the Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan Daler Juma told reporters in Dushanbe on January 30 last year that the process of Tajikistan’s rejoining the Central Asian unified power grid will be completed in April. He noted that the project is about 85% complete to date.
At the same time, the minister said that the connection of power grids in the northern part of the country to the regional power supply system will take more time.
Tajik authorities had earlier claimed that Tajikistan will rejoin the Central Asian unified power grid during 2022. The Minister of Industry and New Technologies Sherali Kabir stated this at a meeting with reporters in Dushanbe on December 2, 2021.
He made this statement in response to proposal of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak to restore the Central Asian unified power grid. Tajik minister, in particular noted that it is necessary to take into account changes in the market and in the world while restoring the power grid operation.
“After introducing the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP) into operation, there will be an opportunity to radically change the power market and eliminate electricity shortages in Central Asia,” Sherali Kabir noted.
As it had been reported earlier, Uzbekistan officially left the Soviet-era regional power grid that united the country with its three Central Asian neighbors in December 2009.
Tajik authorities that time criticized Uzbekistan’s decision as an effort to put pressure on neighbors. The move left Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan facing severe electricity shortages during the winter months.
Uzbekistan’s geographic location made it one of the most important members of the unified system, as many regions in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan had been supplied with electricity through power lines crossing Uzbek territory.
However, after introducing new facilities into operation, Tajikistan now meets its annual requirements in electricity almost completely.
According to the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan (MoEWR), Tajik power system is fully prepared for operation in parallel with the Central Asian unified power grid.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani media outlets reported in early May that Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation on the unification of their energy systems. The document was reportedly signed following a meeting of the ministers of economy and energy of the three countries that took place in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, on May 1.
The Azerbaijani Minister of Economy, Mikayil Jabbarov, wrote on social media that the implementation of this document will allow the three parties to cooperate in the production of “green” energy and organize its export through Azerbaijan to Europe, ensuring the integration of energy systems and effective use of renewable energy sources.
