DUSHANBE, April 15, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- Turkmenistan reportedly plans to increase electric power exports five times.

Turkmen media sources reported this at the end of last week and Tajikistan was named among countries where Turkmen electricity will be supplied.

According to Turkmen media outlets, such plans are provided for by the concept for development of Turkmenistan energy sector for 2013-2020 that was endorsed by the Turkmen government on April 12.

The first stage (2013-2016) of the concept reportedly stipulates construction of eight gas turbine power plants, rehabilitation of three operational power plants and construction of high-voltage power transmission lines.  Thereby, Turkmenistan is expected to double electricity generation by 2016.

The second stage (2017-2020) provides for constructing six more power plants and making shift to the combined control of the gas-turbine power plants that will allow increasing power supply capacities without additional extraction of natural gas.

10 power plants now operate in Turkmenistan.  The Caspian Sea state now exports electric power to Iran and Afghanistan.

We will recall that Tajikistan and Turkmenistan reached an agreement on delivery of Turkmen electricity to Tajikistan via Uzbek power systems in 2007.  Turkmenistan was contracted to supply annually 1.2 billion kWh of electric power to Tajikistan in autumn-winter period during five years at the rate of 3 cents per one kWh, but Uzbekistan interrupted Turkmen electricity deliveries to Tajikistan on January 1, 2009 through quitting the Central Asian power grid.     

Experts from Barqi Tojik (Tajik state electricity provider) consider that it is possible to resume Turkmen electricity deliveries to Tajikistan if to connect the 500V power transmission line from Mary (Turkmenistan) to Andhoi (Afghanistan) and the 220v power transmission line from Sangtuda (Tajikistan) to Pul-i Khumri in Afghanistan.

They, however, further added that it could not be ruled out that the issue of resumption of delivery of Turkmen electricity to Tajikistan via Uzbek power systems would be solved.

Tajikistan still has to import electricity during autumn-winter period because electricity becomes scarce in the winter months when rivers freeze and water reservoir levels drop.