The power systems in Central Asia have undergone several phases of initial integration, subsequent dis-integration, and gradual and systematic reintegration.
The Director of CDC Energia, Kh. Shamsiev, PhD, gave a useful and informative presentation at the recently held TESC 2024 in Ashgabat.
The presentation was titled: Power systems’ cooperation within the framework of the United Power System of Central Asia.
We area producing here a reformatted and abridged version of the presentation:
UPS of Central Asia
- Currently, the energy systems of Kazakhstan (south part), Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan operate in parallel as part of the United Power System of Central Asia (UPS CA)
- Power systems are connected mainly using 220-500 kV lines.
- Since December 2009, the Tajik energy system has been operating in isolation from the UPS of Central Asia.
- Currently, the process of restoring parallel operation of the energy system of Tajikistan is underway. Planned deadline – June 2024.
Electricity trade in the UPS of Central Asia
- The Power systems of the UPS of Central Asia and Turkmenistan have been actively cooperating in recent years in the field of trade in electrical energy and in the provision of system services.
- The Turkmen energy system exports electrical energy almost all year round, but since it does not operate in parallel with the UPS of Central Asia, the Power system provides supplies with dedicated generators on MaryTPP and LebabGTP, which is separated from main system’s grid and connected to the power grid of Uzbekistan. Exports are carried out to the energy systems of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
- When supplying electrical energy through the electrical networks of third countries, electricity transit agreements are also concluded; in particular, when importing from Turkmenistan to Kyrgyzstan, last one (Kyrgyzstan) enters into a transit agreement with Uzbekistan.
Volumes of electricity exports from Turkmenistan, mln.kWh:
Uzbekistan (2021) 4209,9; (2022) 4529,4; (2023) 4014,6
Kyrgyzstan (2021) 498,2; (2022) 813,5; (2023) 1770,7
Due to the commissioning of the Serdar-Dashkhovuz-Balkanabad 500 kV transit and the transfer of the Serdar- Dashkhovuz power line to 500 kV, island mode operation of the Mary TPP generators using the 500 kV Mary-Serdar and Serdar-Karakul overhead lines will be impossible in the future. This will lead to a reduction of exports from Turkmenistan to the UPS of Central Asia.
Electricity trade in the UPS of Central Asia
Technical flows between the republics amount to 25.5326 billion kWh. If we balance cross-border flows and operate with exports and imports (there were no such concepts in 1990), then the balance flows will amount to 15.1598 billion kWh.
Joint construction of power plants
- Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of intent on the Kambarata HPP-1 construction project. Establishing a joint venture between the parties is in progress
- Negotiations are progressing between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and between Tajikistan and Kazakhstan on electricity supply from the Rogun HPP. As lately updated, the stakeholders from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan came to an agreement on this matter.
- Currently, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are jointly working on a project for constructing two hydropower plants of total capacity of 320 MW on the Zarafshan River in the Sughd Region (Tajikistan). The countries have established “TAUZ Hydro” JSC, which is responsible for project management.
Development of interstate power grids
Tajikistan is planned to connect to the UPS of Central Asian in two stages:
– On first stage it should be connected on the South of Uzbekistan (by two 500kV OHL “SS Guzar – SS Regar” and “SS Surkhan – SS Regar” and two 220kV lines “SS Regar – SS Zarchop” and “SS Regar – SS Denau”).
– the second stage is the connection of the Sughd substation (Tajikistan) to the existing 500 kV overhead line in Uzbekistan according to the “tie-in” scheme. As well a new 500kV transmission line will be constructed to interconnect New Syrdarya TPP (Uzbekistan) and SS Sughd (Tajikistan).
ADB supports the project on linking Tajikistan power system to the CA UPS.
It is necessary to build additional lines between the Central and Eastern parts of the energy system of Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan has such plans in the future.
In the near future, Uzbekistan invited CASA-1000 participants to consider the possibility of connecting the 500 kV Datka- Sugd overhead line to the Uzbekistan SS (2×23 km) and/or the Lochin SS (2×40 km).
This will allow:
o Increase the capacity of the Center-East interface;
o Significantly increase voltage levels in the Fergana Valley;
o Use the Datka-Sughd overhead line year-round with a higher load;
o Dividing a long line (about 500 km) into 2 or 3 parts will facilitate its operation in normal and repair modes.
Getting the Turkmenistan power system connected to CA UPS is a key issue to be reviewed. The Turkmenistan energy system currently operates in parallel with Iran. Whereas it operates with CA UPS in an “island” mode using the standalone generators to export the electricity.
At the same time, Turkmenistan has built 500kV transmission lines to the border of Iran and to Afghanistan.
It is planned to use 500/400kV transformer to get linked with Iran in parallel operation mode which has voltage level 400kV
Note that those proposed in the TUTAP project (ADB) in 2012 4 B2Bs at the AFG interfaces with the TKM, UZB, TJ and PAK power systems were never implemented, i.e. remained at the proposal level.
B2Bs on the AFG-UZB and AFG-TJ interfaces are no longer relevant, because in June 2024 UZB, TJ and together with them AFG switch to parallel operation mode, i.e. the corresponding B2Bs will no longer be needed.
In the case of construction of a 500/400 kV substation on the TKM-Iran interface, Turkmenistan will have to work with Afghanistan through the B2B, which will need to be built on the TKM-AFG interface.
We believe that it is more expedient for Turkmenistan to switch to operating in parallel with the CA UPS, while connection with Iran should be made with B2B, which is less costly (1 B2B is cheaper than 1 B2B + transformer).
Parallel work with the Central Asia IPS will allow:
– The role of Turkmenistan as a transit power system will push expanding the Central Asian power trading region to South Asia, to be further extended to West Asia (Iran, Turkey and neighboring Armenia and Georgia).
– Widely use the effect of time zones in intraday trading, as well as seasonal exchanges (winter-summer) between regions.
– Maintain and increase export volumes from Turkmenistan to the UPS CA, incl. to Afghanistan.
To switch to parallel operation with the UPS CA the TKM and UZB power systems need to carry out technical measures (modernization of emergency automation).
In case Turkmenenergo wishes to become a member of the Coordinating Power Council of Central Asia (CPS CA), TKM have to begin the procedure for joining to the Intergovernmental Agreement of 1999 “On the parallel operation of the power systems of the Central Asian states” and to other documents of the CPS CA.
RES integration into UPS of Central Asia
The UPS of Central Asia stakeholders have been integrating the renewable energy sources along with the modernizing and retrofitting the traditional generating facilities and commissioning highly efficient combined cycle gas turbine plants and modernizing the hydro power plants. Mainly solar photovoltaic plants and wind power plants are put into operation.
There are already 2,600MW of RES in Kazakhstan’s energy system, including 1,200MW of solar and 1,200MW of wind. The Ministry of Energy announces about 16 GW of RES-based generation to be commissioned by 2030.
Uzbekistan currently has a total capacity of 1,520MW of SPP and 100MW of WPP. At the same time, 8.64GW of SPP and 17GW of WPP, as well as 7GWh of BESS are planned to be implemented by 2030.
Kyrgyzstan announced a plan to introduce about 3-4 GW of RES within 2-3 years.
In Tajikistan, two SPP with a total capacity of 60 MW are expected to be commissioned in 2024. /// nCa, 13 June 2024