CASA-1000 project to be launched in Tajikistan

Afghanistan Ministry of Energy and Water says that the Central Asia-South Asia (CASA-1000) electricity transmission project will be launched on May 2016 in Tajikistan.

Officials in the ministry consider the CASA-1000 project important and valuable for the economic growth of the country.

“The electricity transmission project will be through Kunduz, Baghlan, Panjsher, Kabul, Laghman and Nangarhar provinces to Pakistan,” said Abdul Basir Azizi, spokesman of Ministry of Energy.

CASA-1000 is designed to transmit 1,300MW of surplus electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyz Republic through Afghanistan to Pakistan.

Afghanistan would get to consume 300MW of electricity for 15 consecutive years by means of this project, and would also generate revenue from transit charges and other privileges.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among the governments of Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Afghanistan and Pakistan was signed on 16 November 2007 in Kabul.

In addition to the commitment of these four countries, CASA-1000 has the support of the World Bank Group, Islamic Development Bank, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), US State Department, United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), and other donor communities.

The realization of this ambitious project will deliver reliable, affordable electricity to parts of the world that desperately need it—in summer and winter.