ASTANA – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $15 million grant for Tajikistan on Oct. 8 to construct a 22-kilometer, 500-kilovolt transmission line to increase electricity export and import capacity among Central Asian countries, reported the ADB’s press service.
Photo credit: ADB
This line will connect the Sughd substation in northern Tajikistan with the New Syr Darya substation in Uzbekistan, strengthening infrastructure to prevent grid disruptions.
According to ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Eugenue Zhukov, through the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program, ADB is actively promoting regional energy trade among Central Asian countries and beyond.
“Our support increases the resilience of the regional energy system and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region,” he said.
As reported by Kazinform, the Central Asian Power System (CAPS), also called the Central Asian electricity ring, was ultimately formed as a new model in 1997. It included the southern part of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Their system of interdependence of energy facilities then involved 83 power plants.
This system allowed the regulation of seasonal fluctuations in electricity demand and water supply. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan depended on water from the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan for irrigation, while the latter did not run their hydroelectric turbines at full capacity. In turn, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan received oil, gas, and coal at preferential rates.
Turkmenistan left CAPS in 2003, causing the system to cease functioning by 2009. However, it was reestablished in 2019.
