CASA-1000 PROJECTPresented By:

Zumra Nawaz Cheema

Sequence Introduction Financial and Technical Assistant Inauguration Ceremony Details of the project Importance Challenges Conclusion

Introduction

The Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan are two countries

in Central Asia endowed with some of the world’s

most abundant clean hydropower resources with

water cascading from the mountain ranges and filling

the rivers every summer. Both of these countries

have a surplus of electricity during the summer.

Nearby in South Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan

suffer from chronic electricity shortages while trying to

keep pace with a fast-growing demand for it.

Continue… Thus, to meet with power shortage in both of

the countries, CASA-1000 project has been

proposed to exchange of 1,300 megawatts

(MW) of existing summertime hydropower

surplus between the two regions, involving the

Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan in Central Asia

and Afghanistan and Pakistan in South Asia.

Continue…

Project preparation was guided by the 4-

country minister-level Inter Governmental

Council (IGC) with a Secretariat that was put

in place in 2011 and through consultations

with the 10-member Central Asian Regional

Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program.. 

Financial and Technical Assistance for the Project

The total cost is estimated to be at $1.17 billion. World Bank (WB) had agreed to finance a little less than 50% of the total cost. The Board of Directors at WB had approved financing of the CASA-1000 project at $526.5 million in this year.

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has agreed to finance the CASA-1000 megawatt power import project, filling the gap left after the financial aid of WB.

Other then WB and IDB, Australian Agency for International Development, US State Department and USAID, UK Department for International Development, and Asian Development Bank will provide support in completion of the project.

Inauguration Ceremony of CASA

The inauguration ceremony of the CASA-1000

project worth over $1 billion took place in

Dushanbe (Tajikistan) on May 12. Tajik

President Emomali Rahmon, Afghan Chief

Executive Abdullah Abdullah and Kyrgyz Prime

Minister Sooronbay Jeenbekov jointly launched

the project alongside PM Nawaz.

Details of the Project

The project is expected to consist of the construction and

operation of transmission infrastructure in the four

countries, associated technical assistance during

implementation, and mechanisms for the sharing of

benefits with communities along the transmission corridor

and would contribute to alleviating power supply

shortages in Pakistan and Afghanistan and would

enhance revenues and economic prospects in the Kyrgyz

Republic and Tajikistan.

Continue…The project comprises of, 750-kilometre-long transmission line which

is expected to be complete by 2020 will allow Pakistan to import

electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan via Afghanistan to minimise

the country’s electricity shortage. The initial plan is to transmit about

1,300MW electricity from Republic and Tajikistan to Pakistan and

Afghanistan. Pakistan will consume about 1,000MW of the exported

energy while 300MW will be used by Afghanistan. Around 16 per cent

of the transmission line will pass through Tajikistan, 75pc through

Afghanistan and 9pc through Pakistan.

In short, the project will include:

500 kV AC line from Datka (in the Kyrgyz Republic) to Khudjand (477 kilometers away, in Tajikistan)

1300 megawatt AC-DC Convertor Station at Sangtuda (Tajikistan)

750 kilometer High Voltage DC line from Sangtuda to Kabul (Afghanistan) to Peshawar (Pakistan)

300 megawatt Convertor Station at Kabul (with import and export capability)

1300 megawatt DC-AC Convertor Station at Peshawar

Importance of the ProjectThe CASA-1000 is a flagship project first of its kind, which will link Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan through a power grid. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, the Pakistani prime minister said that the CASA-1000 was an important joint venture project in the region connecting Central Asia, Afghanistan and South Asia through an electricity grid. Upon completion of the project, Pakistan and Afghanistan would obtain 1,000 megawatts and 300 megawatts of electricity, respectively, in the summer from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, from hydel resources.

Continue…

The project is expected to bring a number of

economic and environmental benefits, help reduce the

energy deficit, improve trade and business links,

besides promoting friendship among the partner

countries. It wouldn’t be inappropriate to say that the

project would bring the cooperating countries closer to

one another and open new avenues for mutually

beneficial economic collaboration.

Challenges Tajikistan’s Nurek HPP will provide electricity to CASA-

1000. But Nurek started operations in 1972 and is now in need of repair. At the same time, Kyrgyzstan’s dams have been plagued by turbine failures and new projects have stalled because of funding issues.

Afghanistan cannot serve as a transit system due to the security issues from Central Asian countries to South Asia.

Salang Pass is another challenge due to the spaceconstraints inside the Salang Tunnel and in the surrounding areas.

Conclusion

Developing a strong economy with good jobs,

modern infrastructure, proper social services,

and inclusive growth requires a functioning

electricity system. The CASA-1000 Project is an

important step in building a functioning, efficient

electricity system across Central Asia and South

Asia.

Continue…Realizing CASA-1000 will require strategic actions and a long-

term vision, private sector and government participation, and

the support of many partners. Ultimately, the realization of this

ambitious project will deliver reliable, affordable electricity to

parts of the world that desperately need it—in summer and

winter. It will prompt inter-regional cooperation, investments in

social services, and encourage community benefit-sharing.

Most importantly, it will strengthen the economic and political

development of the region.