These days Tajikistan is still suffering of the energy crisis and it seems that it will endure for a long period. In addition to many other problems in this sector, yesterday the main hydroelectric power station Pamir-1 in eastern part Tajikistan went out of service (RUS) due to a cramp reason. Different sources give different information about the reason. Some of them even say that there was an explosion. This hydroelectric power station was providing with electricity almost all parts of the Pamir region. Previously it was reported that only this part of Tajikistan is not suffering of the energy crisis.

It was an unusual winter for Tajikistan and it made the government realize that it can not have reliance only on hydroelectric power stations like Norak or Rogun and they have to find other sources of energy. Recently on the governmental meeting under the chairmanship of Rahmonov there was approved a Program on renewable sources of energy (RUS). It is expected to overcome the crisis in ten years after the realization of this program. However, it is not the first time this kind of program is approved. The previous one was the same but nothing was done. I think this program has the same fate. I assume that it was approved in order to make the population think that the government is doing something to solve the problem.

I believe that if the government will take measures and start effectively implementing the Program on renewable sources of energy it can solve the problem to some extent. At least it should not make artificial obstacles for the people when they try to develop alternative sources of energy. There are many examples of how people find different sources of energy (RUS) and effectively use it, but the local officials instead of supporting such initiatives they try to kill them in roots.

For example in…

In Zargar village, near Vahdat one farmer Mahmadali Odinaev is effectively using a biogas unit. Thanks to the unit he has a gas in his house for almost five years… In 2002 Mamadali spent 500 USD for this unit: he bought a steel barrel (10 tons), a pipe, an air-gauge and gas valves. Then he got some consultations from the experts in Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan and started to construct his unit. After that he filled the steel container with organic wastes and hermetically closed it. Within 18 days there was supported a fermentation of the wastes and the result of this fermentation was gas which could be used in the kitchen… Mamadali says that local officials came several times to his house and asked him to dismantle it…

A power shortage in Tajikistan caused blackouts throughout the country. Barki Tojik, the Tajik state electricity provider had warned that the total blackout will last for three days and then the power supply will remain limited for almost a week.

The blackouts have been caused by the construction of Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant. The river Vakhsh in southern Tajikistan was closed off today to enable construction of a dam for the plant to go ahead. Construction works at Sangtuda have caused power supply disruptions from the Nurek hydropower plant that produces about 75 percent of Tajikistan’s electricity.

Barki Tojik officials suggested planned shortages would not affect “strategic sites” such as schools, hospitals and airports. They also said other hydropower plants will allow providing limited electricity supply to Dushanbe and Khujand, administrative centre of the northern Sogd Oblast. GBAO, Tajikistan’s largest region located in the Pamirs will also not be affected by the blackout.

Authorities suggest that power blackouts are a temporary measure that will ensure a “better future” for the impoverished nation. With a design capacity of 2.7 billion kilowatt hours per annum, the plant is expected to meet the local energy demand and provide excess power to sell abroad.

In November, when the blockage of the Vakhsh had been scheduled, electricity shortages in Tajikistan came at a severe economic cost. The river blockage had been put off because contractors at the site failed to meet the deadlines.

Meanwhile, IWPR reports that energy experts blame winter blackouts on poor planning.

“Energy experts say management of the project has been poorly coordinated, leading to delays to the start of construction and the ensuing power cuts at the coldest time of the year,” IWPR reports.

Despite Barki Tojik’s claims that the population “has shown understanding” of the inevitability of power cuts, people are disappointed with the way authorities handle energy problems.

“We have had power outages since early December,” said Mohira Rozakova, resident of Dushanbe. “Why could not they put it off until a warmer season? Because of their stupid policy the price of bread and gas increased. They don’t see it through the windows of their palaces and fancy cars”.

Officials with Barki Tojik promised they will resume power supply from Nurek on December 21. However, many observers say there is no guarantee that the power restrictions will not be extended until much later.

While authorities keep promising a better future, the population seems tired of not having decent living conditions. On Wednesday, December 13, residents of Kanibadam in northern Tajikistan organized a rally in front of the khukumat (local authorities). They protested against power and gas outages.

As much as five participants of the rally in front of Kanibadam khukumat have been detained by police. Officials from the local Prosecutor’s Office have suggested that strict measures would be applied to participants of such “unauthorized rallies”. The government has thus sent a clear message that any attempts to question its energy policies will not be tolerated.

Hydropower industry for Tajikistan is one of the main sectors of economy. It is the only sector of the economy which properly functions and has a huge capacity for development. In terms of clean and fresh water Tajikistan is one of the richest countries in the world. Water gives an opportunity for Tajikistan to generate electric power for the whole Central Asian region, but the lack of investments suspends the process of development. There are a lot of countries, which are interested in development of this sector of economy, among them are Russia, China and Iran.

Unites States were always far from this issue but the situation is changing now because ‘one of the largest American energy companies, AES Corporation plans to invest $1 billion for realization of power supply project from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was reported by vice president of AES, Dale Perry on the press-conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan. “During the first stage of the project it is planned to build a power transmission line from Tajikistan to Afghanistan for 220 kilowatts; on second stage – power transmission line fro 50 kilowatts from Kyrgyzstan through Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan; on third stage – two new hydroelectric power stations in Tajikistan.” – reported Dale Perry’

It is the positive outcome of the Power, Transit and Trade International conference which took place in Turkey. During this conference ‘Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan signed quadrilateral agreement on implementation of power supply project from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Mineral Minister, Afghan Minister for Energy and Water, Pakistan Minister for Energy and US Deputy Minister for Trade and Development attended the conference.’

I think this agreement was signed by the recommendations from Washington D.C. Otherwise there was no reason to sign it, because none of the above mentioned countries are financially able to handle such a big project, even if they do it with joint efforts. The AES Corporation acts as the agent of US Ministry for Trade and Development, which will facilitate the realization of the agreement on implementation of power supply project from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan and Afghanistan. This project will be a great contribution to the development of Afghanistan, which has become a headache for the US.

Iran has signed a trilateral agreement with Tajikistan and Afghanistan for the construction of Sangtuda-2 power plant in Tajikistan and the distribution of electricity from Tajikistan to Iran (via Afghanistan). The power plant is supposed to provide additional 1bln kWt/h of electricity generation capacity to Tajikistan and will mainly be financed by Iranian money (US$180 vs. US$40 by Tajik government). According to the terms of the agreement the profits of the power plant will go to the Iranian government for 12.5 years after which the ownership of the power plant will be transferred to the Tajik government. Sangtuda-2 is expected to be up and running in 3-3.5 years.