Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 16
By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend:
Turkmenistan is ready to consider the issues of increasing electricity supplies to Afghanistan, as well as expanding its energy infrastructure aimed at further connecting to facilities in the Afghan territory, the Turkmen Dovlet Khabarlary State Information Service said today.
Currently, some 25 megawatt hours of electricity are supplied from Atamyrat (Turkmenistan) to Andhoi (Afghanistan), while 25 megawatt hours of electricity go from Mary to Herat, according to the report.
"There will be an opportunity to additionally supply 100 megawatt hours of electricity to Andhoi after a gas turbine power station is commissioned in the Lebap region in July 2014, with an additional 100 megawatt hours of electricity to Herat after a gas turbine power station is commissioned in Mary in October," the report says.
Up to 300 megawatt hours of electricity will be supplied to Andhoi after the internal power lines are modernized.
The energy blocks of the Mary State Power Station are being reconstructed and the 500 kV transmission lines are being constructed from the Mary hydroelectric power station to the Turkmen border with Afghanistan to increase electricity export volumes eastwards.
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said at a recent government meeting that Turkmenistan is implementing several projects, including the preferential provision of the Afghan people with electricity as part of existing bilateral agreements.
Power engineering is one of the leading sectors of the Turkmen national economy.
Work is underway to expand the export of electricity to Iran and Turkey. The opportunities for its transportation to Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and the Caucasus are being considered.
Translated by NH
Edited by CN