Tajikistan expects to begin commercial electricity supplies through the CASA-1000 power transmission project in the second half of 2027, according to the country’s energy authorities.
OJSC Barqi Tojik says all CASA-1000 infrastructure in Tajikistan has already been completed and is ready for operation. The main remaining obstacle is the construction of the transmission line through Afghanistan.
Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources says work on the Afghan section is now progressing at a normal pace, with more than 65% of the planned construction completed.
The Afghan section has fallen behind the original schedule due in part to the country’s difficult mountainous terrain and political developments in Afghanistan.
The ministry expects construction in Afghanistan to be completed in the first half of 2027. Once the work is finished, the project will be able to move toward full-scale operation.
Commercial electricity trade between the CASA-1000 participating countries is expected to begin in the second half of 2027, when the relevant power purchase and sale arrangements are due to take effect.
The ministry said all construction work in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan — the two countries that will supply electricity through CASA-1000 — has already been completed.
What is CASA-1000?
The Central Asia–South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project, known as CASA-1000, is designed to transmit surplus electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan through Afghanistan to Pakistan.
The project was officially launched in May 2016 in Tursunzoda, Tajikistan, with the participation of the leaders of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The CASA-1000 power transmission system will stretch for about 1,400 kilometers. The project’s initial cost was estimated at approximately $1.2 billion.
Construction in Afghanistan was suspended after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, as international organizations and donors halted or scaled back many projects in the country.
The World Bank is the main financial partner for the Afghan section of CASA-1000. The suspension of construction left Afghanistan as the main remaining obstacle to the completion of the regional project.
In December 2023, the energy ministers of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan met in Dubai and called on international financial institutions to help accelerate CASA-1000. The three countries stressed the importance of completing the remaining work and bringing the transmission system into commercial operation as soon as possible.
