ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 25. New power
transmission projects in Central Asia should be assessed based on
whether they increase the overall capacity of the region’s energy
systems, Sergey Tulinov, Project Manager at the Secretariat of the
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (ESCAP), said, Trend's special correspondent reports from the
event.


He made the remarks during a presentation of analytical reports
held as part of the Eurasian Development Bank’s Annual Meeting and
Business Forum.


He said that when domestic grids are overloaded — a situation
seen in several Central Asian countries, particularly during winter
— not only electricity trade is constrained, but also hydro power
flows, transit supplies, and emergency support between neighboring
countries.


“Therefore, for new grid projects, it is not enough to simply
build transmission lines. What matters is whether the project
increases transfer capacity, reduces congestion, removes
constraints on new renewable energy connections, improves system
reliability, and enhances readiness for market-based operation. In
other words, each project must deliver a measurable system-wide
impact,” Tulinov said.


He added that the economic benefits of regional cooperation go
far beyond electricity trade alone, stressing that connectivity is
a key issue for the region.







“First, Central Asia is not starting energy integration from
scratch. The region has inherited grid infrastructure, experience
in parallel operation of power systems, seasonal water-energy
exchanges, and resource complementarity. However, the previous
architecture was designed for a different economic model.
Therefore, many issues now need to be addressed in order to expand
electricity trade, strengthen interconnections, and ensure
reliability, affordability and environmental sustainability of
energy supply,” he said.


Tulinov emphasized that physical interconnections alone are no
longer sufficient.


“Modern rules, mechanisms and institutions are required to
ensure stable and reliable energy supply,” he added.