Turkmenistan intends to raise electricity exports to Afghanistan to 6-8 billion kWh per year

Turkmenistan intends to increase the export of electricity at the Afghan direction to 6-8 billion kWh per year in five years, Turkmen Energy Minister Charymyrat Purchekov said.

Speaking at a briefing on the opening of the Kreki (Turkmenistan) - Shebergan (Afghanistan) power transmission line, the minister noted that the new power line, which makes it possible to dramatically increase volumes and improve the reliability of power supply, is the first stage of a larger project. According to the head of the Ministry of Energy, the transition to voltage level of 220 kV gave the Turkmen power engineers a technical opportunity to increase three times energy exports in this direction.

"This year we have planned to supply 650 million kWh at this direction. We have a long-term contract with our Afghan partners, which provides to increase exports to 4 billion kWh per year," Purchekov said. He also said that "the second direction being worked on is Serhetabad (formerly Kushka) - Herat, with access to Kandahar and transit through Afghanistan to Pakistan."

"This is also a long-term contract. In general, at these two directions, in five years, we plan to export 6-8 billion kWh of electricity per year at the Afghan direction," the minister stressed.

He also said that "the construction of a third gas turbine power plant with a capacity of 432 MW in the Lebap velayat (region) will begin soon, which will further increase the country's export opportunities in the Afghan direction and other neighboring countries."

On Thursday, the presidents of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan took part in the online opening ceremony of the transmission line Kerki (Turkmenistan) - Shibirgan (Afghanistan) with a capacity of 500 kW. Speaking at the ceremony, the head of Afghanistan, Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, thanked Turkmenistan for reducing the price of electricity for the new transmission line from 6 to 3.5 cents.