Tajikistan will rejoin the Central Asian unified power grid next year, says Tajik minister of industry

Tajik Minister of Industry and New technologies Sherali Kabir stated this yesterday at the Second Eurasian Congress in Moscow.

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. 

Recall, 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.  Tajikistan is reportedly ready to supply electricity to neighboring countries.  Today the only problem is that Uzbekistan has dismantled the 500 kV power transmission line from the Guzar substation in its territory to the Regar substation in Tajikistan, Tajik power engineering specialists noted.

Meanwhile, reconstruction of a 63-kilometer section of a 500 kW power transmission line “Guzar-Regar” began in Uzbekistan in February this year.

The Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan said at the time that to maintain a balance of energy and water resources as well as sustainable provision of consumers with electricity, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are jointly implementing a number of investment projects, including the project to restore the 500 kV power transmission line “Guzar-Regar.”

An estimated budget for implementation of this project is 25 million U.S. dollars and the project was expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year. 

The National Electric Networks of Uzbekistan (NES) noted in September last year that China's Shanghai Electric Power Transmission & Distribution won a tender for the restoration of a 500 kV transmission line between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.