Uzbekistan Resumes Flows to Tajikistan
Uzbekistan has resumed gas supplies to Tajikistan, suspended since 2012, through the Muzrabad-Dushanbe main gas pipeline, Shavkat Shoimov, first deputy general director of Tajiktransgaz said Apr.8.
Local media reported that Uzbekistan will deliver 126mn m3 gas to Tajikistan at a price of $120/’000 m3 ($3.33/mn Btu). The volume delivered in 2012 was 132mn m3, about 35% less than in 2011, at $300/000 m3. If Tajikistan has additional needs for natural gas, Uzbekistan is ready to increase the volume of supplies, Shoimov said.
Tajiktransgaz and Uztransgaz signed a gas purchase contract March 9 during an official visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Tajikistan capital Dushande. Uzbekistan and Tajikistan had held negotiations to resume a Tajik gas purchase deal, since late October. Natural gas deliveries will meet 30% of the Tajik Aluminum Plant (Talco) demands. The rest will be be met by synthetic gas, produced domestically from coal.
On April 2, Tajikistan resumed electricity export to Uzbekistan after 9-year gap. Local media reported that Tajikistan would export at least 1.5 terawatt-hours annually to Uzbekistan at 2.5 US cents per kWh.
The two neighbours had tense relations over water sources, ethnic and political problems whilst former president Islam Karimov ruled Uzbekistan, and trade between the two countries declined from $300mn in 2007 to $2mn in 2014.
Uzbek 1Q2018 gas production increased by 6.4% to 14.711bn m3, the country's statistics committee reported April 8.