Central Asia’s electricity system falls apart

• 14 years ago (2009-11-23)
• David Flin

Africa 306 Asia 859 Australasia 51 Biomass 8 Climate change 20 Coal 282 Cogeneration 1 Concentrating solar 5 Cyber security 8 Decarbonisation 1 Decentralised energy 5 Demand side management 2 Demand side response 2 Digitalisation 10 Distributed energy 10 Distribution 113 Electric vehicles EVs 4 Emissions 61 Energy management 1 Equipment 2 Europe 1068 Gas 379 Gas engine plant 62 Gas fuel 2 Horizon 2 Hydroelectric 17 Hydrogen 56 Hydropower 116 Latin America 77 Maintenance 3 Marine 1 Metering 2 microgrid 5 Middle East 317 North America 1004 Nuclear 643 Offshore wind 119 Oil 18 Operations 4 Policy 8 Regulations 3 Renewables 757 smart grid 2 Solar 249 Storage 40 substation 8 Tepco 2 Tidal 2 Toshiba 4 Transmission 181 US Senate Washington 4 Wind 240

---

had already notified fellow members of the common grid of its intention to quit in early October. Two days after Turganov’s announcement, a senior official from ’s state energy company, Uzbekenergo, outlined ’s problems with the system and explained its intention to withdraw from the grid. In an article published in Uzbekistan’s Pravda Vostok , Esso Sadullayev, head of Uzbekenergo’s dispatch centre, criticised members of the common system, who "attempt to meet only their own selfish interests, while not taking into account the negative effects they cause to others. The current situation is a real threat to the stability and safe operation of ’s power system," Sadullayev wrote.

has taken an increasingly tough stance on the issue, periodically cutting off gas supplies to and over unpaid bills. has also opposed the construction of additional hydropower plants in the upstream countries over fears this will reduce water available for irrigation.

is now planning a major expansion of its domestic electricity infrastructure. It plans to raise $3.5 billion between 2009 and 2014 to finance the sector’s development and increase capacity by around 2,700MW. Investments in new transmission lines and transformer capacity are also planned.

Overall, faces a power deficit of around 2.6 TWh this winter, Asia-Plus quotes Barki Tojik as saying. While the country has considerable hydropower resources, it relies on imports of electricity and gas in winter. Imports of electricity from were due to start November 1, but an agreement on transmission of the electricity via ’s grid still has not been reached.