The Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) Barqi Tojik (Tajikistan’s power generation company) wrote an announcement on its Facebook page, noting that electricity rationing is introduced in rural areas on September 22.
The announcement, in particular, says “last winter there was little precipitation and the water availability in the areas where the Vakhsh River forms was very low.”
“Year after year, the increase in the demand of the population and the social-economic sphere of the country for electricity causes seasonal power shortages. In this regard, experts predict seasonal power shortage in a volume of more than one billion kilowatt-hours this year too,” says the announcement.
The experience of previous years shows that in order to ensure the supply of quality electricity during the cold season, introducing restrictions during relatively warmer weather does not cause significant issues for the population, according to the statement.
"Therefore, starting from September 22, 2024, electricity rationing will be introduced when necessary."
Barqi Tojik also urges the population to use electricity sparingly during the autumn-winter period.
The statement does not specify what "necessary cases" mean, but rural residents have been receiving electricity for only 8 to 10 hours per day since September 21, with power available from 5 to 8 am and from 5 to 10 pm.
Earlier, Barqi Tojik mentioned that power outages are due to the overall vulnerability of the infrastructure to excessive loads.
It is worth noting that the reconstruction of the Nurek hydropower plant, which supplies more than 50% of Tajikistan's annual electricity demand, is ongoing. At the end of August, the refurbished fourth hydroelectric unit of the station was launched.
The Nurek hydropower plant has a capacity of over 3,000 megawatts, and the modernization of the station is expected to be fully completed within the next 10 years. Once the repair and restoration work is finished, the plant will increase its winter electricity production by 33 million kWh. This will help meet energy demands during the cold months and expand the station's capacity for electricity exports in the summer, generating additional revenue for the energy sector.
Tajikistan struggles with electricity rationing 30 years after independence, despite long-held dreams of becoming an energy export powerhouse.
Measures rationing electricity supplies are usually introduced in all regions of the country except Dushanbe, regional administrative centers and major cities of the country and they seek to curb the country's rising electricity consumption. 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.
