Work on the Afghan section of the CASA-1000 project according to the updated plan will be completed by the spring of 2027, and from the summer of 2027 the project will begin commercial operation, the contractor of the Afghan section of the project Kamani Engineering Corporation (KEC) announced at a meeting with the Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan Daler Juma.
The meeting, which took place last Monday in Dushanbe, was also attended by representatives of the World Bank and the management of the Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) company, reports the press service of the Ministry of Energy of Tajikistan.
“The parties discussed the current progress of work, as well as technical and financial issues of the CASA-1000 project,” the statement says.
The Minister noted the strategic importance of the implementation of the CASA-1000 project, emphasizing that it helps strengthen regional cooperation, increase trust between participating countries and ensure the export of environmentally friendly electricity.
According to the Ministry of Energy, construction work has now been completed in three countries participating in the project – Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Pakistan. Work continues in Afghanistan.
“Full completion of the project will ensure the development of the energy market, strengthening energy security and expanding economic cooperation between the project member countries,” the Ministry of Energy said in a statement.
About the CASA-1000 project
The Central Asia – South Asia – 1000 (CASA-1000) project involves the construction of a cross-border power transmission line through which it is planned to supply electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The official launch of the CASA-1000 project took place in May 2016 in the city of Tursunzade with the participation of the heads of state and government of the four countries participating in the project.
According to the Ministry of Energy of Tajikistan, all work within the framework of this project in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan has been completed, and the project in Pakistan is planned to be completed by the end of this year.
As part of this project, 1,387 km of line will be built, two converter stations will be built to transmit 1,300 MW of electricity.
The total budget for the construction of this power line, with a total length of 1.4 thousand km, is about $1.2 billion, the cost of the Tajik part of the project is $344, and the Kyrgyz part is $200 million.
It is expected that Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan’s income from electricity exports, according to conservative estimates, will be more than $250 million per year.
