BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 25. Trend News Agency summarizes Tajikistan's energy sector's major events in 2024.
This year, the focus in Tajikistan's energy sector has been on modernizing hydroelectric power plants, expanding the use of renewable energy sources, and connecting to regional energy grids.
Rogun Hydropower Plant
Six units, each with a capacity of 600 MW, make up the Rogun Hydropower Plant (HPP) under construction on the Vakhsh River. Two units have already been commissioned, and the third is expected to be launched in 2025. According to estimates from the Ministry of Energy of the country, once completed, the plant will produce over 17 billion kWh of electricity annually. Once completed, the hydroelectric plant will provide electricity to approximately 10 million people in the country. Approximately 70 percent of the electricity produced is also planned to be exported to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan at affordable rates.
On September 27, 2024, the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, inaugurated a 220 kV power line from the distribution substation to the Rogun substation, spanning 12.7 kilometers. The completion of this project will enable the transmission of electricity from the Rogun HPP to the national energy grid. The Tajik government and international partners supported the project's implementation, investing a total of $11 million.
The Rogun HPP is one of the largest energy projects in Central Asia. The construction of the plant is supported by international financial institutions, including the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), which allocated $550 million to the project this year. The bank itself provided $150 million of this amount, with the remaining $400 million coming from Arab development funds. Additionally, the World Bank provided a grant of $350 million for the first phase of the HPP's construction.
Furthermore, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) provided Tajikistan with $270 million for the construction of the Rogun HPP, with the total financing from the AIIB amounting to $500 million. The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development also allocated $16.7 million, with a total of $100 million planned for the project, to be disbursed over several years.
According to the World Bank's estimates, the total cost of completing the construction of the Rogun HPP will be $6.29 billion, with financing provided from project revenues, internal resources, and development partners.
CASA-1000 Project
The CASA-1000 (Central Asia-South Asia) project aims to integrate the energy systems of Central and South Asia, with the goal of creating a stable and efficient power transmission line that will ensure the reliable export of electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Initiated in 2007, this project envisions the transmission of surplus electricity during the summer months, when production in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan increases.
Once completed, the CASA-1000 system will include 1,387 km of high-voltage transmission lines, both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC).
This year, the Tajik and Kyrgyz sides completed their portions of the CASA-1000 project. The completion of the Afghan section and the commencement of operations are planned for 2026.
Tajikistan's reconnection to the unified energy system of Central Asia
After 15 years of operation in isolation, Tajikistan reconnected to the Unified Energy System of Central Asia (UES CA) in June 2024. According to the Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan, Daler Jumah, the connection is made via high-voltage power lines, and qualified specialists will use the latest technological solutions.
In 2009, regular unplanned electricity withdrawals led to the separation of Tajikistan's energy system from the UES CA. The creation of the UES CA began in 1960, when the Uzbek energy system, the energy systems of southern Kyrgyzstan, northern Tajikistan, and the Shymkent node of southern Kazakhstan were connected for parallel operation on 110 kV and 220 kV transmission lines.
Kairakkum Hydropower Plant
On September 7, 2024, in the Sughd region, President Emomali Rahmon launched three hydroelectric units at the Kairakkum HPP after completing major reconstruction work.
Six units make up the hydroelectric plant, with the last one commissioning in 1957 with a planned capacity of 21 MW. After 68 years of operation, the equipment had become outdated, and the plant's capacity had decreased by 12 MW.
Since 2019, at the initiative of President Rahmon, a large-scale modernization of the plant has been underway. Over the past five years, hydroelectric units No. 4, 5, and 6 have been completely refurbished, and the capacity of each unit has been increased from 19 MW to 29 MW. The reconstruction involved the replacement of equipment in the machine hall, transformers, turbine control systems, and water pressure systems. New 40 MW transformers, sourced from Europe, were installed. An SF6 gas-insulated switchgear replaced the outdated distribution equipment. Additionally, the dam structures were reinforced, equipment on unit No. 2 was updated, and five hoisting cranes underwent full renovation.
Once all work is completed, including the commissioning of the remaining units by 2026, the plant's annual electricity production will increase from 580 to 850 million kWh.
Cooperation with Foreign Partners
Tajikistan continues to collaborate with foreign partners on energy development. On February 23, 2024, a joint working group meeting on the transboundary rivers of Central Asia was held in the city of Guliston in the Sughd region between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The event marked the inauguration of the modernized hydroposts "Patar" and "Sarvat," which now automatically monitor water flow in real time. This will improve water resource management in the region.
Additionally, an agreement was signed between the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan and the Korean Institute for Technology Development to build solar power plants and energy storage systems in the Sughd and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Regions. The project involves the installation of two 3 MW solar power plants and 0.5 MW·h energy storage systems in each region.
A key event was the visit of the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Tajikistan, during which a memorandum of cooperation in the oil and gas sector was signed between the Ministries of Energy of Tajikistan and Kazakhstan on August 22.
Furthermore, on September 27, 2024, an agreement was signed between Pamir Energy OJSC and the Swiss consulting company Gruner Stucky for the technical and economic feasibility study of the construction of the "Charsim" hydroelectric plant. This plant, with a capacity of 14 MW, will be located on the Gund River in the Shugnan district of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region and will become an important part of the region's energy potential.
Reducing commercial electricity losses
Tajikistan is actively working to reduce commercial electricity losses. One of the key steps is the introduction of an accounting system using digital meters. Daler Juma, the Minister of Energy and Water Resources, plans to significantly reduce losses to 10 percent. Local investors have already supported the implementation of successful projects aimed at reducing losses in the Sino district of the capital. The Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region and Khujand previously implemented similar projects, reducing electricity losses to 6–8 percent.
Additionally, Tajikistan plans to equip all consumers with "smart meters" by 2027 as part of the modernization of its energy infrastructure. These devices will allow for more accurate energy consumption monitoring and ensure transparency in billing.
Other notable important initiatives in Tajikistan include projects requiring the mandatory installation of solar power systems during the construction and renovation of buildings. In April 2024, the Committee for Architecture and Construction under the Government of Tajikistan approved an order requiring the installation of solar panels on buildings, alongside the regular power grid. The solar panels will provide additional power generation and the ability to store energy for nighttime use, helping to reduce the load on the national energy grid and improve energy efficiency.
In addition, Tajikistan is continuing work on a new "Energy Law," which aims to fully regulate relations in the energy sector, including accounting systems and billing in the country's electrical grids. The European Union, in close cooperation with Tajikistan's legal authorities, ministries, and agencies, is developing the draft law. The new law is expected to create the necessary conditions for the full functioning of the energy market, including the formation of companies engaged in the production, transmission, and distribution of electricity.
Other important projects include the commissioning of the 110/10 kV "Dusti" substation in the Rudaki district. This substation provides electricity to several rural areas and industrial enterprises, and it helps relieve the load on the existing "Daryokanor" and "Madad" substations.
Additionally, on September 27, 2024, President Emomali Rahmon inaugurated high-voltage power lines from Khorog to Kozidekh and from Surkh Sangov to Vanch. These lines, built with the support of the Tajik government and international partners, total 84.5 kilometers in length. The 110 kV Khorog–Kozidekh and 35 kV Surkh Sangov–Vanch lines will help improve electricity supply to remote villages in the Vanch, Shugnan, and Ishkashim districts of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.
Previously, these areas received electricity through outdated 10 kV lines, which did not provide adequate reliability and quality. Replacing them with new high-voltage lines of 35 and 110 kV will increase capacity and reduce the number of accidents in the region’s energy system.