Central Asian countries create energy supply ring
Today, the Central Asian countries are taking a number of measures to revive the energy ring that connected the power systems of the "five" in Soviet times and allowed them to cope with the shortage of electricity. On 15 December, Kyrgyzstan has began electricity supplies to Uzbekistan in accordance with the agreement signed at summit level in October, Jahon news agency reports. Under the terms of the agreement, from December 2017 to March 2018, Kyrgyzstan will supply 550 million kWh of electricity. "This process will ensure the coherence of the water and energy regimes in Central Asia and will contribute to the development of our countries," said E. Sadullayev, head of the strategic development department of JSC "Uzbekenergo". In addition, Uzbekistan is ready for the transit of Turkmen electricity to other countries and regions. The basis of such cooperation was a memorandum, signed by the Ministry of Power Enginerring of Turkmenistan and "Uzbekenergo". The Uzbek side prepared prepared 220 and 500 kV lines connecting two neighboring countries to transfer Turkmen electricity further. Close cooperation is established between the energy systems of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Two countries are interconnected by 220 and 500 kV lines stretching from the Tashkent thermal power plant. Next year, it is planned to launch the parallel operation of the energy systems of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. To this end, Tajik energy companies are implementing projects for introducing emergency control and relay protection. It is worth to note that the countries of Central Asia actively get Afghanistan involved in the orbit of energy integration, considering that the country is sorely in need of economic assistance. Turkmenistan makes a major contribution to energy stability on Afghan soil. In addition to the two power transmission routes Imamnazar-Andkhoy and Serhetabat-Herat-Toghundi (700 million kWh of electricity flow through them), Turkmen energy specialists carry practical work to supply electricity to the Afghan provinces of Badghiz and Jowzjan. In early December Uzbekistan and Afghanistan have signed another contract for the export of electricity, aiming at further growth in the volume of supplies. Along with bilateral energy contacts, the parties are also establishing partnership under international transit projects, such as Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TUTAP) electricity export project and CASA-1000, involving Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
