DUSHANBE, October 23, Asia-plus 23, Asia-Plus  -- In winter, Tajikistan is expected to receive 1 billion kWh of electrical power from Turkmenistan via Uzbek power systems, Deputy Energy and Industries Minister, Poulod Muhiddinov, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on October 23.

            According to him, the power grid, which links the Turkmen power station with the Uzbek power station and can be used  for imports to Tajikistan, has been completely restored by Uzbek specialists.

The deputy minister assured that this winter, Tajikistan will not face such electricity deficiency as it faced last winter.

“In addition to the Turkmen electricity, Tajikistan will also import 600 million kWh of electrical power from Uzbekistan, said Muhiddinov, “Besides, the first unit o the Sangtuda-1 hydropower station will be introduced into operation in December, and a total amount of electricity that Tajikistan could have in winter is between 2 billion to 2.5 billion kWh of electricity.” 

However, this amount is not enough to cover electricity shortages in the country, the deputy minister said. 

He also noted that over the first nine months of this year, Tajik hydroelectric power stations have generated some 13.3 billion kWh of electricity, which is 280 million kWh or 2 percent more than in the same period of last year.  Compared to the government target, the index of the volume of generation of electricity has amounted to 103 percent, Muhiddinov said.                

            We will recall that talks between the energy ministers of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on the supply and transit of Turkmen electricity through Uzbekistan to Tajikistan resulted in signing of a new five-year agreement.  It will help to ease Tajikistan’s chronic power shortages in autumn-winter period, when electricity rationing is introduced in Tajikistan from October to March.  Under the agreement, Turkmenistan will supply about 1.2 billion kWh of electricity to Tajikistan this winter.