ADB is supporting a project to tap Tajikistan's power surplus to meet shortfalls in neighboring Afghanistan. The project will construct a 220 kilovolt double circuit transmission line that will link the hydropower stations on Tajikistan's Vakhsh River to the border town of Sherkan Bandar, then to Kunduz, Baglad, Pul-e-Khumri and, ultimately, Kabul in Afghanistan.
Project Name | Regional Power Transmission Interconnection Project (AFG/TAJ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Project Number | 40043-013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | Regional Afghanistan Tajikistan |
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Project Status | Closed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Project Type / Modality of Assistance | Grant Loan Technical Assistance |
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Source of Funding / Amount |
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Strategic Agendas | Inclusive economic growth Regional integration |
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Drivers of Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sector / Subsector | Energy / Electricity transmission and distribution - Large hydropower generation |
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Gender Equity and Mainstreaming | No gender elements | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Description | The Project will interconnect the power grids in Afghanistan and Tajikistan. The Project's scope will cover the construction of a 220 kilovolt (kV) double-circuit transmission line that will link the hydropower stations located on the Vakhsh River in Tajikistan to the border town of Sherkan Bandar; then to Kunduz, Baglan, and Pul-e-Khumri in Afghanistan. This line will be ultimately linked to Afghanistan's major electricity demand centre, Kabul, through the Afghan 220 kV corridor currently under construction, linking Pul-e-Khumri to Kabul. The Project will also include upgrading and new investments in Tajikistan that will help reduce the winter power deficit by (i) increasing the available level of generation, and (ii) decreasing the level of technical losses in south Tajikistan. Both measures will aim to export 300 megawatt (MW) to Afghanistan and generate additional 320 gigawatt-hour (GWh) annually in Tajikistan. The Project is in line with the governments' strategies and policies. In Afghanistan, the policy is to provide reliable power supply to all Afghans. In Tajikistan, the policy is to maximize the use of its hydropower assets. The project scope has been coordinated with other external funding agencies. |
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Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy | Afghanistan's power generation, transmission, and distribution systems have been severely damaged by years of conflict. There is almost no transmission grid and generation is very limited. Lack of generation capacity has led to widespread use of load shedding throughout the country, including the capital Kabul where supply is available only a few hours a day. To cope with this situation, where the grid is unable to provide reliable supply, most of the energy users and industry have shifted to decentralized smallscale diesel power generation. Consequently, Kabul has become up to more than $0.33 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), taking into account high international market prices for crude oil. Regionally, there are large surpluses of generation in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan while Afghanistan is struggling with a large power deficit. All economic and technical studies show that importing power from neighboring countries even during a limited period of the year has a sound rate of return. Recent studies recommend that interconnections with neighboring countries should be pursued and encouraged in parallel with the development of domestic generation. Reconstruction of power lines between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan is ongoing under Asian Development Bank (ADB) financing. A few small interconnections between Iran, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan are in operation but none of them are able to meet the demand in Kabul city. Tajikistan has an installed generation capacity of 4,405 MW (98% hydropower) and current surplus generation of 1,500 GWh per year. At a nominal value of $0.02/kWh this surplus is potentially worth $30 million per year.The surplus is only available for export for 6 - 8 months during the spring-summer period and 90% of the installed generation capacity in Tajikistan is located in the southern part of the country. Tajikistan has three separate transmission grids that are not interconnected (north, south, and east grids). The only way for Tajikistan to export its surplus at present is to use the Uzbek grid. However, transmission constraints in Uzbekistan mean that Tajikistan is not able to use the Uzbek grid most of the time. Therefore, water is spilled without generating electricity during the summer and potential electricity supply is wasted. Based on the above, the Project offers a win-win situation where Afghanistan's lack of power supply can be met by Tajikistan's surplus, which it is currently unable to export. |
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Impact | Enhanced regional power trade in Central Asia. |
Project Outcome | |
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Description of Outcome | Increased AFG power imports from TAJ. |
Progress Toward Outcome | The line was officially energized on 8 October 2011. It was commissioned on 27 October 2011 and taken over by DABS for commercial operation. Total 16,562 MWh of electricity imported by AFG in 2011; and 349,076 MWh in 2012 up to September. |
Implementation Progress | |
Description of Project Outputs | Construction and rehabilitation of TAJ power systems (Baipaza excitation system, Perpadnaya and Golovnaya HPP) Construction and installation of power systems in AFG (Kunduz, Baghland, Pul-e-Khumri) |
Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues) | Tajikistan Components. 1. Transmission Line. The actual length of the completed transmission line was 116.5 km compared. The transmission line was completed on 30 November 2010; commissioned and energized for electricity export to Afghanistan on 8 October 2011 upon completion of the Afghan portion. 2. Work at the Sangtuda substation under this output was completed as planned IsDB financed. Construction work completed; energization of Unit 3 was expected in November 2012. 3. Replacement of Transformer T3 at Golovnaya HPP was not implemented due to insufficient funds available by the EA, BT. 4. Dredging of the canals at Centralnaya and Perepadnaya HPPs completed. 5. Upgrading of Unit 3 at Golovnaya HPP: construction completed and energization was expected by 25 December 2012. 6. Rehabilitation of the excitation system at Baipaza HPP (Lot 5) completed. 7. The optimization of the Vakhsh River cascade is being carried out under the ADB-financed Regional Power Transmission Project. 8. The supply of bulk metering systems completed. Afghan Components. 1. Transmission Line was completed with the final length of 163 km. Electricity flow from TAJ to AFG commenced on 8 Oct 2011. 2. Two Substations in Kunduz and Baghlan (entirely financed by IsDB) are being carried out by an Iranian contractor. Construction progress has been severely affected by the sanctions imposed on Iran, the contractor and its banks by the international communities, prohibiting cash flow to the contractor. At the time of the PCR Mission, progress was at 75%, with major equipment already installed. Completion is expected by June 2013. 3. In compliance with the LARP implementation, MEW has undertaken the following - a) Section A, B, and C: The distribution of allowances process has been completed. The compliance reports have been revised and submitted. b) Section c, Addenda C: The compensation for the remaining three affected families is still pending. c) Section B, Addenda LARP: Compliance report has been reviewed and found acceptable. |
Geographical Location | Afghanistan - Kunduz, Puli Khumri, Qizil Qal'ah |
Safeguard Categories | |
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Environment | B |
Involuntary Resettlement | B |
Indigenous Peoples | C |
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects | |
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Environmental Aspects | Initial environmental examinations (IEEs) have been undertaken and summary IEEs were prepared. |
Involuntary Resettlement | Land acquisition or impacts on crops were limited, both for the Afghanistan and the Tajikistan components, and depended only on the construction of tower bases and expansion of Baglan substation. All other items constructed under the Project, including temporary access roads, will have no impacts on property and livelihoods. No house will be affected and no resettlement is needed in either country. In Afghanistan, most of the transmission line passes over unused desert land where impacts were greatly limited by locating the towers within the tower footing of an old Soviet line in disuse. In Tajikistan, most of the transmission line passed in unused desert land and impacts occured only where the transmission line crosses strips of cultivated land. To plan the compensation program, EAs have prepared a short resettlement plan (RP) for each component. Each RP fits the relevant national law/regulation and ADB's policy on Involuntary Resettlement (1995) and Operations Manual F2 on Involuntary Resettlement. |
Indigenous Peoples | No project-affected person in Afghanistan or Tajikistan fits the definition of indigenous person provided by The Bank's Policy on Indigenous Peoples (1998). Therefore, there will be no impact on indigenous peoples from either of the project components. |
Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation | |
During Project Design | Repeated consultations and close communication with stakeholders (affected families) were maintained during Project design. |
During Project Implementation | Regular dialogues with affected familes were maintained during project implementation. |
Business Opportunities | |
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Consulting Services | Consulting services will be required to assist (i) MEW and DABM (DABS, after dissoltion of DABM) for the Afghanitan component and (ii) Barki Tajik for the Tajikistan component, in project implementation. All project-financed consultants will be selected and engaged in accordance with ADB's guidelines, pursuant to quality- and cost-based selection. MEW and Barki Tajik will take advance action for the recruitment of consultants. |
Procurement | Loan-financed goods, services and civil works will be procured in accordance with ADB's Procurement Guidelines and by MEW and Barki tajik and assisted by the respective project implementation consultant. |
Responsible ADB Officer | Hwang, Joonho |
Responsible ADB Department | Central and West Asia Department |
Responsible ADB Division | Energy Division, CWRD |
Timetable | |
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Concept Clearance | 08 Sep 2005 |
Fact Finding | 28 Aug 2006 to 24 Sep 2006 |
MRM | - |
Approval | 19 Dec 2006 |
Last Review Mission | - |
PDS Creation Date | 27 Oct 2006 |
Last PDS Update | 31 Mar 2014 |
Grant 0230-REG
Milestones | |||||
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Approval | Signing Date | Effectivity Date | Closing | ||
Original | Revised | Actual | |||
18 Nov 2010 | 18 Jan 2011 | 12 Sep 2011 | 31 Dec 2011 | 30 Jun 2013 | 29 Oct 2013 |
Financing Plan | Grant Utilization | ||||
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Total (Amount in US$ million) | Date | ADB | Others | Net Percentage | |
Project Cost | 12.40 | Cumulative Contract Awards | |||
ADB | 12.00 | 18 Nov 2010 | 4.57 | 0.00 | 38% |
Counterpart | 0.40 | Cumulative Disbursements | |||
Cofinancing | 0.00 | 18 Nov 2010 | 4.57 | 0.00 | 38% |
Status of Covenants | ||||||
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Category | Sector | Safeguards | Social | Financial | Economic | Others |
Rating | - | Satisfactory | Satisfactory | Satisfactory | - | Satisfactory |
Loan 2303-REG
Milestones | |||||
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Approval | Signing Date | Effectivity Date | Closing | ||
Original | Revised | Actual | |||
19 Dec 2006 | 22 Feb 2007 | 22 Aug 2007 | 31 Dec 2010 | 15 Mar 2011 | 16 May 2011 |
Financing Plan | Loan Utilization | ||||
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Total (Amount in US$ million) | Date | ADB | Others | Net Percentage | |
Project Cost | 71.00 | Cumulative Contract Awards | |||
ADB | 43.00 | 19 Dec 2006 | 18.90 | 0.00 | 100% |
Counterpart | 28.00 | Cumulative Disbursements | |||
Cofinancing | 0.00 | 19 Dec 2006 | 18.90 | 0.00 | 100% |
Loan 2304-REG
Milestones | |||||
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Approval | Signing Date | Effectivity Date | Closing | ||
Original | Revised | Actual | |||
19 Dec 2006 | 20 May 2007 | 22 Aug 2007 | 30 Sep 2009 | 30 Jun 2013 | 05 Mar 2014 |
Financing Plan | Loan Utilization | ||||
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Total (Amount in US$ million) | Date | ADB | Others | Net Percentage | |
Project Cost | 39.00 | Cumulative Contract Awards | |||
ADB | 35.00 | 19 Dec 2006 | 35.15 | 0.00 | 100% |
Counterpart | 4.00 | Cumulative Disbursements | |||
Cofinancing | 0.00 | 19 Dec 2006 | 35.15 | 0.00 | 100% |
Status of Covenants | ||||||
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Category | Sector | Safeguards | Social | Financial | Economic | Others |
Rating | - | Satisfactory | Satisfactory | Satisfactory | - | Satisfactory |
Loan 8230-REG
Milestones | |||||
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Approval | Signing Date | Effectivity Date | Closing | ||
Original | Revised | Actual | |||
10 Jan 2007 | 06 Sep 2007 | 15 Jan 2008 | 31 Dec 2010 | - | 21 Jun 2012 |
Financing Plan | Loan Utilization | ||||
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Total (Amount in US$ million) | Date | ADB | Others | Net Percentage | |
Project Cost | 0.00 | Cumulative Contract Awards | |||
ADB | 0.00 | 10 Jan 2007 | 0.00 | 7.91 | 100% |
Counterpart | 0.00 | Cumulative Disbursements | |||
Cofinancing | 0.00 | 10 Jan 2007 | 0.00 | 7.91 | 100% |
TA 4908-REG
Financing Plan/TA Utilization | Cumulative Disbursements | |||||||
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ADB | Cofinancing | Counterpart | Total | Date | Amount | |||
Gov | Beneficiaries | Project Sponsor | Others | |||||
3,000,000.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3,000,000.00 | - | 0.00 |
TA 4909-REG
Financing Plan/TA Utilization | Cumulative Disbursements | |||||||
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ADB | Cofinancing | Counterpart | Total | Date | Amount | |||
Gov | Beneficiaries | Project Sponsor | Others | |||||
2,400,000.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2,400,000.00 | - | 0.00 |
Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.
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Safeguard documents provided at the time of project/facility approval may also be found in the list of linked documents provided with the Report and Recommendation of the President.
Evaluation Documents See also: Independent Evaluation
Title | Document Type | Document Date |
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Afghanistan and Tajikistan: Regional Power Transmission Interconnection Project | Validations of Project Completion Reports | Nov 2014 |
Related Publications
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Procurement Plan
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