Tajikistan to supply electricity to China

28 March 2019 17:51 (UTC+04:00)

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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Relations between Tajikistan and China are a streamlined and dynamic mechanism for comprehensive cooperation and strategic partnership.

Tajikistan is considering the possibility of exporting surplus electricity produced in the country to China.

Along with the sale of electricity to the Central Asian republics, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Tajikistan also intends to supply it to China.

To establish supplies to China, it is planned to build a 500 kV power line, 550 kilometers in length, to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to the General Plan for the development of the energy sector.

It is noted that in addition to the existing lines of interconnection flows with Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, several projects of regional interconnection lines are considered: Connecting the energy system of Tajikistan to the energy systems of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and becoming part of a single energy ring of Central Asia; Project CASA-1000, under which the construction of 500 kV power transmission lines between Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan is planned; The construction of 500 kV power lines Rogun-Peshawar is under discussion, Construction of 500 kV transmission lines, 550 km long, to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China; The United Energy Network of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan with the maximum annual export of electricity from Tajikistan. There are two additional lines to Afghanistan and Pakistan, at this stage, only one of them will be considered.

Currently, Tajik electricity is supplied to Afghanistan and Uzbekistan via two lines (110 and 220 kV) to both countries, as well as to Kyrgyzstan (220 kV transmission lines).

According to the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan, more than 2.4 billion kW / h of electricity was exported in 2018. Due to these supplies, the republic earned about $ 77 million.

Tajik electricity supplies last year increased by 1.1 billion kW / h compared to the previous year.

The increase in exports was achieved due to the supply of electricity to Uzbekistan, which was resumed from April 2018 after an almost ten-year break. In the first nine months of 2018, Tajikistan exported about 1.4 billion kW / h of electricity to this neighboring country.

Note that the cost of each kW of energy for Afghanistan last year was 4.11 cents, for Kyrgyzstan - 3 cents, Uzbekistan - 2 cents.

The export of Tajik electricity, certified by the energy departments, is carried out exclusively in the summer period when the republic has its surplus.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94