Tajikistan to step up hydro generation for regional export

• 10 years ago (2014-03-27)
• Junior Isles

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Tajikistan is aiming to increase power exports to neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, and hopes to achieve this by increasing its annual power generation by 40 per cent to 25 billion kWh in 2016, according to a Tajik government official.

Tajikistan produces about 17 billion kWh of electricity per year but the new target would assist it in “meeting maximum export needs”.

Tajikistan already plans to export 1000 MW of electricity to Pakistan under the Central Asia-South Asia (CASA) power supply project, and has offered to provide another 1000 MW by laying a new transmission line into northern areas of Pakistan.

Pakistan has been facing increasingly severe power shortages and is currently finalising a commercial electricity import deal with Tajikistan to help minimise outages, particularly during summer months.

“Implementation of these plans will ensure energy independence and increase the export potential up to 8 billion kWh per year during summer,” the officials continued.

Additional power generation for export would be produced primarily through construction of new hydroelectric plants. Current power facilities under construction include the Rogun and Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power plants and the Dushanbe-2 thermal power station.

Tajikistan is ranked eighth in the world for potential hydropower resources after China, Russia, USA, Brazil, Zaire, India and Canada.