Pakistan to import 1300 MW electricity from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

Pakistan Monday signed an agreement to import thirteen hundred megawatt electricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan through Afghanistan to overcome power shortage in the summer season, officials said. 

The agreement was signed by Pakistan‚ Afghanistan‚ Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan at a two-day meeting of Inter-Governmental Council of Central Asia South Asia‚ (CASA) transmission and trade project in Islamabad.

Pakistani Minister for Water and Power, Khawaja Asif, said the project “CASA-1000 will bring in clean and affordable hydro-electricity to the country’s energy starved national grid.

“It was challenging project but is very much attainable if the goodwill of the four nations continued in the same manner as was evident today.”

The Minister said power shortage is one of the biggest challenge for Pakistan as the people is subjected to long hours of load-shedding and the deficit of electricity had  reached around 5000 MW during summer.

Afghanistan Minister for Energy and Water Al-Haj Mohammad Esmail said the project would further strengthen ties between the four countries and help boost their economies.

About the security, the Afghan minister said each partner had to play role to protect the transmission line, passing through their part.

Advisor to prime minister on Energy Dr Musadaq Malik said work on the project would start in 2014 and complete in 2-3 years to add 1300 MW to the national grid and provide cheaper electricity to the country’s consumers at summer season.

He said Afghanistan has provided sovereign guaranty to guard and protect the transmission line, adding that the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Gulf Coordination Group would support the CASA-1000..

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=41659

Posted by Tahir Khan on Sep 16 2013. Filed under Latest News, National. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.