Turkmenistan plans to increase regional electricity exports
By Kamila Aliyeva
Turkmenistan has always been known for its enormous natural gas reserves and therefore called as a "gas republic", however it is not the only industrial sector which is developed in the country.
The energy-rich Central Asian nation is expected to fully provide all of its provinces with uninterrupted power supply and to get additional income through the exports growth to other countries.
Turkmenistan's energy market is controlled by the State. The investment into its electric power industry is part of the country’s general policy of diversifying its energy export routes in the region.
The country currently exports electricity to Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey, and is investing in infrastructure to allow it to increase its export potential. A large part of the required investment will come from Japanese firms. The government has set a target of US $5bn investment in its electricity sector, focusing on the construction of power lines and gas turbines.
It is planned to design a powerful transmission line along the route of the transnational Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, also known as Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline, which has been building since December 2015, Turkmen government reported earlier.
In addition to providing all the infrastructural facilities of the highway with electricity, it will give an opportunity of its exports to the other countries via Afghanistan.
Currently the building of aerial power line with voltage of 500 kilovolts is discussed.
There are also prospects of increasing the supply volumes of Turkmen electricity for export, primarily to Afghanistan, where the formation of an appropriate infrastructure will allow opening new workplaces.
The project is also crucial for Pakistan and Tajikistan who are both facing severe energy shortages.
The other promising power export routes, in particular, in Pakistan and Tajikistan also gain more concrete outlines.
Turkmenistan supplies electricity to Afghanistan at a reduced price for the past twenty years.
The energy minister said that Turkmenistan will increase its energy output to 27.4bn kwh by 2020, and to 35.5bn kwh by 2030.
Electricity is one of the leading sectors of the Turkmen economy, which is aimed at the complete satisfaction of the needs of industry, agriculture, social sector of the country, as well as the build-up in Turkmen exports.
The highest value of electricity production from oil, gas and coal sources in Turkmenistan over the past 23 years was 100.00 in 2013, while its lowest value was 95.21 in 1990.
Currently Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey buy electricity from Turkmenistan.
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