Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Mohammad Asif and counterparts from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan on February 19 signed the CASA-1000 Project agreement. Under the agreement Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will provide 700 megawatt electricity to Pakistan via Afghanistan.
The CASA-1000 Project will support construction of high voltage power transmission line to connect grids of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan with Afghanistan and Pakistan for export of excessive electricity from the Central Asian countries in summer time to Pakistan and Afghanistan, facing a severe electricity shortage.
Export of electricity is supposed to start in 2016-2017, around 5.5 bln kWh of electricity will be exported, according to preliminary estimations. The length of the CASA-1000 Project lines will make some 750 km. The project cost is estimated at $1 billion.
Implementation of the project is planned to start in 2014.