DUSHANBE, May 28, 2013, Asia-Plus – Tajikistan hopes for Kyrgyzstan’s support in the situation with construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP).

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon reportedly stated this in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on May 28, following his meeting with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Jantoro Satybaldiyev.

“We hope for support of Kyrgyzstan in implementation of the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA 1000).  Under this project, Tajikistan plans to export 3 billion kWh of electricity, but according to exports, this project will be unprofitable, if two units of the Roghun HPP are not introduced into operation.  We hope for solidarity of Kyrgyzstan in this issue,” President Rahmon was quoted as saying by KirTAG.

CA-News reports Tajik leader also hopes for mutual support in implementation of the CASA 100 project.

To pursue the idea of Central Asia - South Asia Regional Electricity Market (CASAREM) – is a concept for developing electricity trade among the countries of the two regions, four countries, including Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in Central Asia and Afghanistan and Pakistan in South Asia, have agreed to develop the first project under CASAREM, with more than two countries involvement.  The project aims to establish the necessary transmission and trading infrastructure and systems to enable a trade of about 1300 MW of electricity between Central Asia and South Asia, and is referred to as CASA-1000.

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 is likely to include: 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, Peshawar and Sangtuda (in Tajikistan).

The World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank have reportedly expressed their readiness to finance the Project.  Besides, Russia expressed interest to invest 500 million U.S. dollars in the CASA 1000 project through the Eurasian Investment Fund.     

It is expected that the direct implementation of the Project will start at the beginning of the next year and it will be finished in 2017.