Naveed Qamar discusses electricity import from Central Asian countries

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Water & Power, Syed Naveed Qamar, held a meeting with Dr. Hazrat Omar Zakhailwal, Minister for Finance of Afghanistan Tuesday to discuss cooperation between the two countries on electricity import by Pakistan from Central Asian countries via Afghanistan.

Afghanistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan and Tajikistan have been pursuing the development of electricity trade through the establishment of a Central Asia-South Asia Regional Electricity market (CASAREM), says a press release.

A cross border transmission line project has been proposed for the construction of dedicated link essential aimed at supplying 3300 MW of surplus hydro power available during summer months from the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan to Pakistan via Afghanistan. This transmission line project is termed as CASA-1000 project.

The four countries have signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) on August 4, 2008 at Islamabad for the development of CASAREM and CASA-1000 project.

The project is expected to be completed at a total cost of US$ 873 million and is expected to be commissioned in 2016.

An inter-Governmental Council (IGC) with membership at the level of Deputy Ministry or higher has been established with its Secretariat in Kabul.

The main objective of the IGC is to facilitate the implementation of the project and to oversee compliance with project activities and agreements.

After remaining dormant for three years, the project was revitalized this year when Afghanistan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan signed an MOU at the IGC meeting at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on September 20, 2011. However, Pakistan only initialled the MOU but has since been approved by the Federal Cabinet on November 16, 2011.

Under the Bishkek MOU, each country is required to establish a national Working Group dedicated to implement CASA-1000 project. Pakistan has established its most active national Working Group.

The four national Working Groups are engaged jointly since the last two months to streamline the project management infrastructure, securing funding of the preparatory activities, designing project implementation structure, preparing implementation schedule, consideration of necessary draft agreements, technical details including standards and specifications, definitions of custody transfer point, seller(s)-buyers(s) relationship, review of the feasibility study done by SNC Lavalin in 2010, etc.

Two meetings of the Working Groups of the four countries have been held on 15-16 November at Dushanbe, Tajikistan and 28 December by Video Conference.

The next meeting is scheduled in the held at Almaty, Kazakhstan on 30 January to 2 February 2012. During the preparatory phase which is expected to last 12 to 18 months, the World Bank, IFC, Islamic Development Bank & USAID are providing financial and technical assistance.

The two Ministers agreed tot he preparatory activities of CASA-1000 project and to remove problems if any.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2012