Bishkek (TDI): Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have officially launched the 500 kV Datka-Sughd overhead power transmission line, a key component of the CASA-1000 (Central Asia-South Asia) electricity transmission project.
The project is designed to export surplus summer electricity from the two Central Asian nations to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The 485-kilometer line, which links the Datka substation in Kyrgyzstan with the Sughd substation in Tajikistan, was inaugurated on March 31 during Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov’s trip to the Tajik city of Khujand. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon also attended the ceremony.
The new line enables bidirectional power flows, considerably enhancing the resilience and stability of Central Asia’s power grid.
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Both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have completed their respective infrastructure components of the CASA-1000 project, according to Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Energy.
In Pakistan, construction is likely to be completed by August this year. In Afghanistan, where work had stalled, construction has now restarted. Over 95 percent of the necessary materials have already been delivered to the country. Full completion of the Afghan section and the start of commercial operations are anticipated in 2027.
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The CASA-1000 project, with a total cost exceeding 1.2 billion dollars, is financed by the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Islamic Development Bank, and other global partners.
The Kyrgyz and Tajik sections alone accounted for nearly $544 million, or 45.3 percent of the total project budget.
Once fully operational, CASA-1000 will have the capacity to transmit up to eleven billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.
Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are likely to jointly export up to five billion kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually to Pakistan, roughly 5 percent of the country’s total electricity consumption.
The projected revenue from these exports is more than $250 million per year for the two nations.
The successful implementation of CASA-1000 not only promises economic benefits for Central Asia but also marks a major step in regional energy collaboration, renewable energy deployment, and cross-border infrastructure integration.
