What's new

Pakistan to get $120m under CASA project

Edevelop

ELITE MEMBER
Joined
Feb 2, 2007
Messages
14,735
Reaction score
23
Country
Pakistan
Location
Turkey
ISLAMABAD: The World Bank on Thursday approved $526.5 million in grant and credit financing for the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade project (CASA-1000) for four countries: Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic and Afghanistan.Of the total project financing approved by the World Bank’s board of directors, Afghanistan will receive $316.5m in the form of an IDA grant; Pakistan will receive $120m in IDA credit; Kyrgyz Republic $45m in IDA grant and credit; and Tajikistan $45m in grant financing.

The total project cost is estimated at $ 1.17bn, and several other development partners will provide financing for CASA-1000, including the IDB and USAID.

CASA-1000 will build more than 1,200km of electricity transmission lines and associated sub-stations to transmit excess summer hydropower energy from existing power generation stations in Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic to Pakistan and Afghanistan. The project will finance the engineering design, construction, and commissioning of transmission lines and three new converter stations.

The power generation stations that provide the energy to be traded over CASA-1000, including Toktogul in Kyrgyz Republic and Nurek in Tajikistan, are already in place — and in Tajikistan currently “spill” or waste the hydropower energy during summer months.

This transmission infrastructure project will put in place the commercial and institutional arrangements as well as the infrastructure required for 1,300MW of sustainable electricity trade.

In addition to the infrastructure investments, the World Bank group will also provide country-specific community support programmes through a Multi-Donor Trust Fund and the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund.

These programmes will help improve livelihoods in communities living along the project corridor and facilitate revenue-sharing. An inter-governmental council has been established to supervise the design and implementation of these programmes.

Nearly 400m people in South Asia lack reliable access to electricity. Businesses cite energy shortages as one of the most binding constraints to their operation, expansion, and job creation. Both Afghanistan and Pakistan rely heavily on oil for power generation

Pakistan to get $120m under CASA project - DAWN.COM
 
.
Back
Top Bottom