DUSHANBE, July 30, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- This year, electricity rationing may be introduced in the country already in August, Ms. Ughuloy Khojayeva, the deputy head of Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding, remarked at a press conference in Dushanbe on July 29.  

According to her, the power holding has applied to the government asking to introduce electricity rationing in the country in the next month.  “If the government seconds our proposal, the electricity rationing will be introduced in the country in August,” Khojayeva said, noting that the daily supply of electrical power will be reduced in nighttime.  

She noted that the decision to introduce electricity rationing in August stems from the low water levels at the reservoir powering the Norak hydroelectric power station (HPS).  “Compared to the same date of last year the present water levels at the Norak reservoir are 11 meters lower and by the beginning of the autumn-winter period, the difference in water levels may reach 16 meters,” the Barqi Tojik official said.     

             We will recall that in an address to a June 17 meeting of senior representatives of the country’s energy sector in Dushanbe, President Emomali Rahmon suggested that electricity rationing should be introduced in the regions this year on September 1.  The president noted that electricity rationing could be introduced in September, when there is still hot weather and saved electrical power could be supplied to the population during winter months.   

Minister of Energy Industries Gul Sherali told a press conference in Dushanbe on July 22.that this year, electricity rationing will be introduced in the country after Independence Day (September 9).  According to him, one the main reasons for that is the low rate of water inflow to the Norak reservoir.  The water inflow rate is low because there was not enough fall of snow in the past winter, he said.  The minister noted that water levels at the Norak reservoirs should reach the level of 880 meters before the end of July and by the end of August, the water levels should reach the level of 908 meters, while the present rate of water inflow to the reservoir is 1,000-1,200 cubic meters per second.  

“Filling the reservoir, we should take into consideration that we have to supply electricity to neighboring Uzbekistan in the summer period in exchange for the Uzbek electrical power received during the winter months,” the minister said

He noted that Tajikistan currently generates electricity at the rate of 63-64 million kWh per day; of this amount, some 11 million kWh are exported to Tajikistan and 1 million kWh are supplied to Kyrgyzstan.  

Rationing for electricity supplies is usually introduced throughout the country in early October and lasts through April of the next year.  The rationing goes into effect in all regions, with the exception of Dushanbe, and seeks to curb the country’s rising electricity consumption.  In addition to curbing rising consumption, the move also stems from a decline in the water level in the country''s reservoirs powering the main hydroelectric power plants.