DUSHANBE, October 15, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Specialists from relevant ministries and organizations of Tajikistan and representatives of international organizations and local NGOs met in Dushanbe yesterday to discuss feasibility study for implementation of the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA 1000), according to the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI).

The source at a MoEI said the meeting discussed hiring of consultants to conduct the environmental impact assessment for the project.

CASA 1000 is a regional electricity transmission project that would supply summer surplus power from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to the Afghan capital of Kabul and the north west of Pakistan.

The planned Project would 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 the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan to connect to the HVDC line from Tajikistan to South Asia; as well as the necessary electricity sub-stations in Kabul, Peshawar and Sangtuda (in Tajikistan).

Several international financial institutions, including the World Bank Group and the Islamic Development Bank, are supporting this effort.