World Bank OKs $526.5m for CASA-1000

[Saifullah Sani]

The World Bank has announced approving $526.5million in grant and credit financing for the Central Asia-South Asia electricity transmission and trade project (CASA-1000).

Afghanistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan and Tajikistan will benefit from the transmission infrastructure project that would put in place the commercial and institutional arrangements as well as the infrastructure required for 1,300 megawatts (MW) of sustainable electricity trade.

The World Bank Group’s Board of Directors approved the funds on Thursday for the project, whose cost is estimated at id="mce_marker".17 billion. Several other development partners will provide financing for CASA-1000, including the Islamic Development Bank and US Agency for International Development.

CASA-1000 will build more than 1,200 kilometers of electricity transmission lines and associated sub-stations to provide excess summer hydropower energy from existing power generation stations in Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic to Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In a statement, World Bank Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer Sri Mulyani Indrawati said:“These four countries are demonstrating strong regional cooperation by addressing their energy challenges together. CASA-1000 is a transformational project that will give a much-needed boost to energy security, improved connectivity and trade across two regions at a critical time.”

Of the project financing, Afghanistan will receive $316.5 million in the form of an IDA grant, which will support construction of about 560-km of an overhead transmission line to connect the electricity network via northern and eastern provinces.

It will also finance the engineering design, construction, and commissioning of a 300 MW converter station in Kabul. Afghanistan is expected to connect more households and businesses to the power grid by importing 300MW of electricity through CASA-1000.

Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), Afghanistan’s electricity company, and the Ministry of Energy and Water will implement Afghanistan’s portion of the project, including a Security Management Plan for the construction and operation phase.

World Bank OKs $526.5m for CASA-1000

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Very risky project anything going thru Afghanistan , we should just get grant and build solar energy farms in Balouchistan

 

[Pakistanisage]

With transmission lines traversing this large a territory, a large percentage of Electricity would be lost due to line losses...

 

[Edevelop]

Very risky project anything going thru Afghanistan , we should just get grant and build solar energy farms in Balouchistan

The British should not have divided the Wakhan Corridor. It would have made our life easier to reach Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Generally I strongly feel Pakistan should annex Afghanistan , well anex is wrong because techncially the whole region belonged to Pakistan from start , we just need to ratify the logistical things and bring security to region. We already have social and economic relation with residents of Afghania province. Its logical the sonner , the province is integrated into Pakistan the bette frr over all security in region

Afghanistan is barren region , no farming , no water , no economy etc having it join us at least with improve social structure in region and also help overall security in Pakistan as rouge elements hiding on both side of border can be better controlled if Afganistan was a next Pakistani province

Biggest benefit , single passport , every one gets ID and tracking and taxation number and no more drug cultivation. Pakistan sets up police force / army extensions and no room for rouge forces

Pakistan (Alphabetical order)

• Afghania province [Move in 50,000 Troops for Security of Region Permenently]
• Azad Kashmir
• Balouchistan
• KPK
• Punjab
• Sindh

Good for regional stability and curb on rouge elements and lawlessness

After the region is stabalized then we can talk of making transmission line thru Afghania provicne of Pakistan etc as there would be security presence, its really a no brainer

Total Investment:

• 50,000 Troops
• 2 squadrons of Mirage fighters
• 1 squadrons of JF17 Thunder
• APC 1000
• Police Force 20,000 Units (Pakistan Sets up a police training facility major cities)

Every thing else is same 7-9 Million Afghans already have residency in Pakistan anyways

 

[Chak Bamu]

This project should be pursued aggressively. Economic linkages discourage adventurism. We need to build linkages with Central Asia.

If World Bank finances this project, then it carries lesser risk for us, money-wise. Within a decade, we might not need to rely on import of electricity at all. So, I am bullish on this project. We should go for it.