Kyrgyzstan to receive benefit from CASA 1000 project in 15 years

In 15 years after the beginning of electricity supply to Afghanistan and Pakistan under CASA 1000 project, Kyrgyzstan will begin to receive all the profits. Akylbek Tyumenbaev, Executive Director for the implementation of the projects of «National Electric Network of Kyrgyzstan» JSC, said this during a press tour to power facilities in Jalal-Abad region

According to him, the electricity generated in Kyrgyzstan will be exported to Pakistan at a price of 9.41 cents per kilowatt-hour, and credit is included in the tariff.

After the construction of the line to Peshawar (Pakistan) is completed, commercial exploitation will begin, and then for 15 years we will repay the loan, because the tariff contains the return of the investments, and only after that the project will start working for us.

Akylbek Tyumenbaev

As he said, within the largest international energy project for $ 233 million ( $ 185 million of the sum— confirmed sources of financing: loans from the World Bank ($ 45 million), the Islamic Development Bank ($ 50 million) and the European Investment Bank (€ 70 million)) it is planned to build a high-voltage line from the substation «Datka» (Bazar-Korgon district of Jalal-Abad region) to the border with Tajikistan. Its length will be 450 km. The project includes the construction of a cell at «Datka» substation.

«We will have the opportunity to export electricity from May to October 1,» a representative of National Electric Network said.

One of the creditors of the project — the Islamic Development Bank — held a tender for the construction of a 125 km long line from Batken to the border with Tajikistan.

«The international tender for the construction of a line from the substation «Datka» to Batken with a length of 325 km, as well as a cell at the substation will be held at the end of July 2017,» Akylbek Tyumenbaev said.

According to him, if in 2017 all contracts related to financing of contract works are signed, the construction of the lines will begin already in 2018, and the whole project should be implemented in three years.

«Now all the participating countries (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan) are carrying out tendering processes, in Tajikistan a convection substation of direct current with a voltage of 500 kV is being built, the construction of a similar substation is held in Peshawar (Pakistan), the length of the line from Tajikistan to Pakistan is 750 km," Akylbek Tyumenbaev said.

«When the general contractor is determined, the World Bank will once again calculate the cost of work, and the necessary amount will be specified," Akylbek Tyumenbaev said.

Information of National Electric Network OJSC. CASA 1000 project (Central Asia-South Asia 1000 Megawatts) involves the construction of a high-voltage transmission line linking the energy systems of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan with Afghanistan and Pakistan for the export of electricity by the Central Asian countries.

The total cost of the project is more than $ 1 billion, Kyrgyzstan will spend $ 233 million, Tajikistan — $ 270 million, Afghanistan — $ 300 million and Pakistan — $ 200 million.