Kyrgyzstan completes work on CASA-1000 power project segment

Kyrgyzstan has completed construction work on its section of the CASA-1000 regional power transmission project, while the final completion of the multi-billion-dollar initiative now depends largely on progress inside Afghanistan, according to the Eurasian Development and Stability Fund.

The fund said Tajikistan and Pakistan have also finished their infrastructure components, leaving Afghanistan as the remaining key segment required before technical testing and final operations can begin.

The 1,300-kilometre CASA-1000 project is designed to transmit surplus summer electricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to energy-deficient markets in Afghanistan and Pakistan through a high-voltage transmission network.

Kyrgyzstan’s section covers around 450 kilometres, while the Afghanistan segment — considered one of the project’s most critical parts — stretches between 560 and 580 kilometres from Sher Khan Bandar in Kunduz province to Torkham near the Pakistan border.

Construction work in Afghanistan was suspended in August 2021 after the Taliban returned to power, at a time when only part of the transmission towers had been installed despite most equipment already being delivered to the country.

Work resumed in December 2024 after authorities and project stakeholders received security guarantees, according to regional officials.

The Eurasian Development and Stability Fund said completion of the Afghanistan section is necessary before the project can enter its final technical testing phase, adding that the full regional power line could become operational by the end of 2027.

CASA-1000 has long been viewed as one of the largest regional energy cooperation projects linking Central Asia with South Asia, with international financial backing from institutions including the World Bank and other development partners.

The project could help Afghanistan generate transit revenue and improve regional economic integration, though years of conflict, political instability and security concerns have repeatedly delayed implementation across Afghan territory.

The project, valued at approximately $1.2 billion, was launched to strengthen regional energy connectivity between Central and South Asia and improve electricity access across participating countries.

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