DUSHANBE, Tajikistan — Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan inaugurated the 500-kilovolt Sughd–Datka power line, a major cross-border electricity transmission line that will eventually extend into Afghanistan.
The power line formally launched Tuesday by President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan and President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, connects the power grids of the two countries and forms a critical segment of the CASA-1000 project — a $1.2 billion energy corridor that will channel electricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
While the Tajik and Kyrgyz portions of the line have been completed, construction on the Afghan segment is ongoing and is expected to finish by 2026.
“CASA-1000 is an ambitious renewable energy infrastructure project that will deliver 1,300 megawatts of surplus electricity from Central Asia to high-demand electricity markets in South Asia,” project organizers said in a statement.
The launch of the Sughd–Datka line comes as Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan recently signed a historic agreement to resolve long-standing border disputes, a development seen as a step toward improved bilateral cooperation. Officials in both countries say the electricity project has the potential to transform the region’s energy landscape and foster closer ties with South Asia.
In Kyrgyzstan, the project included the installation of over 1,200 support structures and upgrades to the Datka substation. Officials say the initiative could open new economic opportunities for Afghanistan while strengthening energy interdependence across a region long marked by geopolitical divisions.
Despite challenges ahead — particularly in Afghanistan’s security environment — both Dushanbe and Bishkek have expressed continued commitment to completing the CASA-1000 corridor.
