A hydel energy agreement between Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan was signed on Wednesday.
The project, known as the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA-1000), will help export 1,000 MW of clean energy to Pakistan at a price of 9.35 cents including all charges. Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif led the Pakistan delegation while Tajikistan delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Afghan and Kyrgyz delegations were led by their respective energy ministers.
Although conceived long ago, the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took the initiative to expedite the project and convened a meeting of Inter-Governmental Council of CASA-1000 in September 2013 in Islamabad that discussed various aspects of the project. Subsequent follow-up consultations ultimately led to the conclusion of the historic agreement in Istanbul.
The CASA-1000 project is scheduled for completion by 2018 under the umbrella of the World Bank. Tajikistan share in the energy export will be 70pc while Kyrgyzstan will export 30pc. Afghanistan will consume 300 MW of the exported energy while Pakistan will receive 1000 MW electricity. The project is hoped to boost energy trade in the region that will lead to sustainable development.
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