Tajikistan completes construction of converter station as part of CASA-1000 power transmission project
DUSHANBE. March 4 (Interfax) - Tajikistan has completed the construction of a key facility as part of the CASA-1000 (Central Asia - South Asia) transnational high-voltage power transmission project, which will connect the Kyrgyz and Tajik power systems with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
A 1300 kW converter station has been completed in the Kushoniyon district of Khatlon province in southern Tajikistan as part of the project, the project's chief specialist Ismoil Bobokhonzoda told journalists on Tuesday.
The station will convert alternating current received from Kyrgyzstan, as well as from Tajikistan's Rogun Hydropower Plant (HPP) and Sangtuda-1 HPP, for supply to Pakistan, Bobokhonzoda said.
The station's construction began in August 2019 with financial support from the World Bank and additional funding from several other banks, he said. At present, all construction, installation and equipment testing has been completed.
"This station, with its parameters, is unique in Central Asia. The equipment for it was supplied from China, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Korea and India. The station is 99% ready to receive voltage. In the coming days, we will conduct test trials," he said.
The Tajik government allocated 43 hectares for the station's construction, with the facility itself occupying 25 hectares.
The station is connected to a 500 kW power transmission line from Regar (Tursunzade), and in the future will be linked to a 500 kW power transmission line from the Rogun HPP, as well as a 220 kW line from the Sangtuda-1 HPP, he said. The station is designed to operate for six months during the summer period.
"Kyrgyzstan will supply 2 billion kWh of electricity during this period, while Tajikistan will supply 3 billion kWh. The alternating current from Kyrgyzstan will enter Tajikistan's Sughd province, then travel to Dushanbe, from there to Regar, and finally reach the converter station in Jeyhun," Bobokhonzoda said.
Previously, Tajik Energy and Water Resources Minister Daler Juma said that CASA-1000 is expected to become operational in 2027.
"The CASA -1000 project is the largest regional project involving four countries. Fortunately, construction work in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan has been completed. Construction in Pakistan is progressing at a rapid pace. It is expected that construction work in Pakistan will be completed in the first half of this year," Juma said.
The main issue facing the project in recent years was the suspension of funding for the Afghan section by development partners. "After prolonged negotiations and recognizing the importance of the project, this issue was resolved at the international level with development partners. Last year, funding for the Afghan section was resumed. Construction is ongoing, and it is expected that work on the Afghan section will be completed by the end of 2026. The project will be fully operational in 2027," Juma said.
It is expected that the CASA-1000 line will enable the creation of a unified electricity market and year-round energy trade. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will be able to export 1,300 MW of surplus electricity to South Asian countries during the summer. The project is supported by the World Bank Group, the Islamic Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank and several donor organizations.
The official launch of construction work on the CASA-1000 project took place in May 2016.
By early February 2024, Tajikistan had almost completed all work for the CASA-1000 power line construction project, with only issues related to adjustment and connection remaining.
The construction of energy infrastructure under the CASA-1000 project in Kyrgyzstan was completed in November 2024.
According to Afghanistan's national electricity company, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat, the project resumed in May 2024 after a two-year delay, with financial support from the World Bank. It is expected that it will be completed by the end of 2025. "The relaunch of this project was initiated at the request of the region's countries and with Afghanistan's full confidence that all necessary conditions would be met," the company said.
