MANILLA (ADB press service) — Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan have signed a framework for the construction of a 4 GW interconnector project between the three countries. This agreement is expected to pay the way for long-term power supply to support Afghanistan’s energy requirements. Besides, it will allow power trade and exchange among three nations.

The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) Power Interconnection Project will include building 500 km of 500 kV transmission line. Once completed, the project will be able to transmit up to 4 GW of power from Turkmenistan into Afghanistan and Pakistan.

TAP is expected to be completed in two concurrent phases.

The first phase of the project will use the existing infrastructure under the ADB-financed Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TUTAP) power interconnection project that aims to export power from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is scheduled to be completed by 2021.

The second phase, which will be completed by 2022, will transfer power from Turkmenistan through the border of Serhetabad in Turkmenistan and Torghundy into Herat, Kandahar, and Spin Boldak in Afghanistan and export to Chaman and Quetta in Pakistan.

ADB Afghanistan country director Samuel Tumiwa said: “TAP power interconnection project is not only a good mechanism for strengthening partnerships and enabling power trade among the three countries, but it also shows the desire of the countries for peace, stability, and economic development.”

As an anchor development partner in the energy sectors of the three countries, ADB is expected to continue to play its facilitation role including assisting in the preparation of analytical studies for systems stability, reliability, and grid interconnection; and studies for regulatory and legal, technical, commercial, and systems dispatch.

Besides, it will also help coordinate project planning and the provision of financing; facilitate energy trade negotiations among the three countries.