Pakistan to ink electricity pact with Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan

Islamabad
In a positive development, Pakistan is going to ink master agreement on April 24 in Istanbul the finalised documents for purchasing electricity from Central Asian States under CASA 1000 projects and to this effect a high level delegation headed by Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif is to leave for Turkey tomorrow (Thursday). The electricity to be imported from Tajikistani and Kyrgyzstan will be injected in Pakistan national grid in June 2018.
The project will be implemented under segmented approach and Pakistan will have to spend just $300 million in its jurisdiction and in return will get 1,000MW of electricity, a senior official told The News.
Once the PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) between the seller and the buyer countries gets inked, the construction work on transmission line would start.
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan are stakeholders of the project, the official said and added: “World Bank and US are playing pivotal role in materialising the project. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are electricity-selling countries whereas Afghanistan and Pakistan are buyers.”
The total electricity of 1300MW will be imported, out of which 1000MW is to be used by Pakistan and 300MW by Afghanistan. The master agreement will be signed by the four countries that include Tajikistani and Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Under the agreement to be signed, Pakistan will be purchasing the electricity at the cost of 9.30 cents per unit. Under the CASA 1000 project, a transmission line of 750 kilometers will be laid down at the cost of $1.17 billion. Out of 750 kilometer transmission line, 540 kilometers line will be laid down in the territory of Afghanistan.
According to the officials, the project will come on stream by June 2018 and Pakistan will start getting the electricity. Pakistan will be able to purchase the electricity more than 1000MW keeping in the less demand of Afghanistan.
Tajikistani and Kyrgyzstan will generate hydro generation and sell it to Afghanistan and Pakistan. World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and some European financial institutions are extending the financing for the mega project. Out of total cost $1.17 billion World Bank will provide $900 million.
The project will be completed in 36 months and three electricity conversion stations (from AC to DC and from DC to AC) will be built at Singtuda in Kyrgyzstan, Kabul in Afghanistan and at Peshawar in Pakistan.