In gas-rich Turkmenistan, electricity generation rose by an estimated 11% y-o-y in 2022, primarily driven by the country’s electricity exports, which increased by 30% compared to 2021, according to an International Energy Agency (IEA) report.
Turkmenistan planned exports of around 9 billion kWh of electricity in 2022 (compared to 7.5 billion in 2021) into neighboring markets, including Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, respectively, the Electricity Market Report 2023 said.
These strong export gains were due to growing output from the giant combined cycle power plant in Mary province (in the east of the country), the IEA notes.
Turkmenistan increased its supply to Kyrgyzstan to 1.7 billion kWh in the first half of 2022. In October 2022, it agreed with Uzbekistan to supply up to 4 billion kilowatt-hours.
Reportedly, electricity in Turkmenistan is generated from natural gas. According to the plan, total electricity production in Turkmenistan will reach 37.5 billion kilowatt-hours in 2028, compared to 28.4 billion in 2021.
Turkmenistan sells electricity to Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan (through Uzbekistan). In addition, Ashgabat is interested in the Caucasus (via Iran) and South Asian markets (via Afghanistan).
This sector of the economy in Turkmenistan is supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which has allocated $500 million to build ring main power lines across the country. The project is expected to be completed by 2024.
Credits: Eziz Boyarov, Ashgabat
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