This presentation aimed to provide over view of CASA-1000 (an energy project) project signed between Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on 12 of July, 2016

1. Presented By:
Zumra Nawaz Cheema

3.  Introduction
 Financial and Technical Assistant
 Inauguration Ceremony
 Details of the project
 Importance
 Challenges
 Conclusion

4. The Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan are two
countries in Central Asia endowed with some of
the world’s most abundant clean hydropower
resources with water cascading from the mountain
ranges and filling the rivers every summer. Both of
these countries have a surplus of electricity during
the summer. Nearby in South Asia, Afghanistan
and Pakistan suffer from chronic electricity
shortages while trying to keep pace with a fast-
growing demand for it.

5. Thus, to meet with power shortage in both of
the countries, CASA-1000 project has been
proposed to exchange of 1,300 megawatts
(MW) of existing summertime hydropower
surplus between the two regions, involving the
Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan in Central Asia
and Afghanistan and Pakistan in South Asia.

6. Project preparation was guided by the 4-
country minister-level Inter Governmental
Council (IGC) with a Secretariat that was
put in place in 2011 and through
consultations with the 10-member Central
Asian Regional Economic Cooperation
(CAREC) program..

7.  The total cost is estimated to be at $1.17 billion. World
Bank (WB) had agreed to finance a little less than 50%
of the total cost. The Board of Directors at WB had
approved financing of the CASA-1000 project at $526.5
million in this year.
 The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has agreed to
finance the CASA-1000 megawatt power import
project, filling the gap left after the financial aid of WB.
 Other then WB and IDB, Australian Agency for
International Development, US State Department and
USAID, UK Department for International Development,
and Asian Development Bank will provide support in
completion of the project.

8. The inauguration ceremony of the CASA-1000
project worth over $1 billion took place in
Dushanbe (Tajikistan) on May 12. Tajik
President Emomali Rahmon, Afghan Chief
Executive Abdullah Abdullah and Kyrgyz Prime
Minister Sooronbay Jeenbekov jointly launched
the project alongside PM Nawaz.

9. The project is expected to consist of the construction
and operation of transmission infrastructure in the four
countries, associated technical assistance during
implementation, and mechanisms for the sharing of
benefits with communities along the transmission
corridor and would contribute to alleviating power
supply shortages in Pakistan and Afghanistan and
would enhance revenues and economic prospects in
the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan.

10. The project comprises of, 750-kilometre-long transmission
line which is expected to be complete by 2020 will allow
Pakistan to import electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan
via Afghanistan to minimise the country’s electricity
shortage. The initial plan is to transmit about 1,300MW
electricity from Republic and Tajikistan to Pakistan and
Afghanistan. Pakistan will consume about 1,000MW of the
exported energy while 300MW will be used by Afghanistan.
Around 16 per cent of the transmission line will pass through
Tajikistan, 75pc through Afghanistan and 9pc through
Pakistan.

11.  In short, the project will include:
 500 kV AC line from Datka (in the Kyrgyz Republic) to
Khudjand (477 kilometers away, in Tajikistan)
 1300 megawatt AC-DC Convertor Station at Sangtuda
(Tajikistan)
 750 kilometer High Voltage DC line from Sangtuda to
Kabul (Afghanistan) to Peshawar (Pakistan)
 300 megawatt Convertor Station at Kabul (with import
and export capability)
 1300 megawatt DC-AC Convertor Station at Peshawar

13. The CASA-1000 is a flagship project first of its kind,
which will link Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and
Kyrgyzstan through a power grid. Speaking at the
groundbreaking ceremony, the Pakistani prime minister
said that the CASA-1000 was an important joint
venture project in the region connecting Central Asia,
Afghanistan and South Asia through an electricity grid.
Upon completion of the project, Pakistan and
Afghanistan would obtain 1,000 megawatts and 300
megawatts of electricity, respectively, in the
summer from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, from
hydel resources.

14. The project is expected to bring a number of
economic and environmental benefits, help
reduce the energy deficit, improve trade and
business links, besides promoting friendship
among the partner countries. It wouldn’t be
inappropriate to say that the project would bring
the cooperating countries closer to one another
and open new avenues for mutually beneficial
economic collaboration.

15.  Tajikistan’s Nurek HPP will provide electricity to CASA-
1000. But Nurek started operations in 1972 and is now
in need of repair. At the same time, Kyrgyzstan’s dams
have been plagued by turbine failures and new
projects have stalled because of funding issues.
 Afghanistan cannot serve as a transit system due to
the security issues from Central Asian countries to
South Asia.
 Salang Pass is another challenge due to the space
constraints inside the Salang Tunnel and in the
surrounding areas.

16. Developing a strong economy with good jobs,
modern infrastructure, proper social services,
and inclusive growth requires a functioning
electricity system. The CASA-1000 Project is
an important step in building a functioning,
efficient electricity system across Central Asia
and South Asia.

17. Realizing CASA-1000 will require strategic actions and
a long-term vision, private sector and government
participation, and the support of many partners.
Ultimately, the realization of this ambitious project will
deliver reliable, affordable electricity to parts of the
world that desperately need it—in summer and winter.
It will prompt inter-regional cooperation, investments in
social services, and encourage community benefit-
sharing. Most importantly, it will strengthen the
economic and political development of the region.