Electricity losses in Tajikistan remain at a high level despite various efforts to reduce losses, involving significant expenditures, Asiaplus reports.
According to the country's power companies, the total amount of losses (in generation, transmission, and distribution) in the first half of this year amounted to slightly over 2.415 billion kilowatt-hours. In fact, a similar amount of electricity was lost in the same period of 2022 - 2.417 billion kWh.
In particular, losses of energy at hydroelectric power stations and thermal power plants, according to the company Barki Tojik (Tajikistan's state electric company), amounted to about 39 million kilowatt-hours, or 0.49% of the total generation volume. These losses were at a similar level in the same period of 2022 (37 million kWh or 0.48%).
Losses on high-voltage lines and substations, according to the Transmission Electric Networks company, totaled 376 million kWh (3.47%) in the first half of this year. In the corresponding period of the previous year, 380 million kWh (3.37%) were lost.
Losses during the distribution of electricity amounted to over 2.067 billion kWh (22.6%), compared to 2 billion kWh (23%) in the same period of 2022, according to the Distributive Electric Networks company.
The overwhelmingly large amount of energy is lost during its distribution among end consumers, and this pertains to commercial losses (theft), as in previous years.
In the electricity distribution company, it is stated that numerous measures, including infrastructure modernization, are being taken to reduce the level of losses. The company's balance includes transformer substations, power transformers, low-voltage lines, electricity meters, and other equipment necessary for distribution.
Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, in his latest address on December 23, 2023, stated that the country loses one-fifth of all generated energy, and technical electricity losses have a negative impact on the financial situation of companies and enterprises in the sector.
President Rahmon emphasized that over 10.7 billion somoni had been spent on repairing and reconstructing the country's power grids during the period of independence. However, electricity losses, in his words, "continue to cause concern."
The Ministry of Energy of Tajikistan and the Joint-Stock Company "Distributive Electric Networks" have committed to ensuring the high-quality and timely implementation of projects to reduce losses, with a combined budget of 2.4 billion somoni.
These projects envisage the installation of over 800,000 electricity meters in separate cities and districts.
The Ministry of Energy has also been tasked, in collaboration with companies and industry enterprises, to take urgent measures to create a unified and centralized billing system.
According to the president's opinion, the installation of smart meters can reduce electricity losses to 9% by 2025.
In the previous year's address, President Rahmon stated that the existing capacities were sufficient for year-round supply to all domestic consumers, but the losses were very significant and had already reached 16% of the total generation volume.
"What isn't done," the president said at the time, referring to the commercial nature of the losses.
He noted that relevant structures were conducting investigations on this matter.
According to Barki Tojik, about 10.653.3 billion kWh of electricity were generated in the first half of this year, which is 341.2 million kWh more compared to the same period in 2022.
Overall, Tajikistan has significant hydropower resources estimated at 527 billion kWh annually. In technical terms, Tajikistan's hydropower resources have good development prospects, amounting to 317 billion kWh annually, of which only 4-5% have been utilized up to the present time. In terms of its hydropower potential, Tajikistan ranks eighth in the world after China, Russia, the US, Brazil, Zaire, India, and Canada, and first in Central Asia. Hydropower constitutes 95% or more of Tajikistan's energy sector.
Source: Asiaplustj.info
CentralasianLIGHT.org
August 30, 2023