The construction of the Tajik section of the 1000 Electricity Transmission and Trade Project for Central Asia and South Asia (CASA 1000) will be completed in time, Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Jamshed Shoimzoda, told reporters in Dushanbe on July 13.  

According to him, the coronavirus pandemic has not affected the construction process in the framework of the CASA 1000 Project.

“The construction work has been carried out in accordance with schedule.  To-date, more than 30 percent of the necessary construction equipment has been delivered to the country.  In coordination with the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, negotiations between India’s Kalpataru Power Transmission Limited (KPTL), which is building the Tajik section of the CASA 1000 Project, and Nokili TALCO on purchase of 9.7 million somoni worth of 1,780 kilometers of cable have been completed,” Shoimzoda said.  

The Tajik section of CASA100 Project is expected to be completed before the end of 2021, Tajik official added.  

The CASA-1000 project aims at developing energy corridor and land connectivity between Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade (Casa-1000) Project demonstrates landmark cooperation among Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The modern and efficient CASA-1000 electricity transmission system will help transform the region and signify an important step toward realizing the planned Central Asia-South Asia Regional Electricity Market (CASAREM). The CASAREM initiative will help not only these four countries, but also improve the electricity systems and develop inter-regional cooperation between Central Asia and South Asia.

A total cost of the project is more than 1 billion U.S. dollars.  314 million U.S. dollars are needed for construction of the Tajik section of the regional power transmission line which will bring electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Project is expected to develop the necessary physical infrastructure and create the institutional and legal framework to transmit surplus power available from existing generation facilities in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan.  The physical infrastructure for CASA 1000 includes: a 500 kV high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system between Tajikistan and Pakistan through Afghanistan; an AC transmission link from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to connect to the HVDC line from Tajikistan to South Asia; and the necessary electricity sub-stations in Kabul (Afghanistan), Peshawar (Pakistan) and Sangtuda (Tajikistan).