Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT1205
2009-09-23 10:31:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMEN ELECTRICITY EXPORTS TO SIBERIA?
how-toVZCZCXRO2226 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAH #1205 2661031 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 231031Z SEP 09 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3498 INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5696 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3411 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3275 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3939 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1160 RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3922 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001205
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB; NEA/IR
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/BURPOE/COHEN
COMMERCE FOR EHOUSE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EPET ENRG PGOV EINV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMEN ELECTRICITY EXPORTS TO SIBERIA?
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001205
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB; NEA/IR
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/BURPOE/COHEN
COMMERCE FOR EHOUSE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EPET ENRG PGOV EINV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMEN ELECTRICITY EXPORTS TO SIBERIA?
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) International press reported recently that Turkmen
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stated that Turkmenistan is
ready to supply electricity to Siberia to supplement electricity
losses caused by the August 17 accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya
power station. Berdimuhamedov's statement reportedly came during
his meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on September 13,
2009. Press reports did not mention if the Presidents discussed
specific volumes of Turkmen electricity supplies.
3. (SBU) According to a former employee of the Turkmen Ministry of
Energy, the total capacity of Turkmenistan's eight power stations is
about 3,300 mega watts (MW),which means that Turkmenistan is
technically capable of producing about 20.5 billion kilowatt-hours
annually. The country's internal estimated consumption for 2009 is
13 billion kilowatt-hours. In addition, the Turkmen government
plans to export 2.6 billion kilowatt-hours to Afghanistan, Iran,
Turkey, and Tajikistan by the end of 2009.
4. (SBU) At face value, Turkmenistan will have some excess
electricity that it could transport to Russia through Uzbekistan and
Kazakhstan, since the power grids of all former Soviet Republics
remain connected. Nevertheless, energy experts maintain that it is
not possible to transmit electricity from Turkmenistan all the way
to Siberia because of inevitable power losses related to
long-distance electricity transmission. Moreover, experts assert
that the capacity of Uzbekistan's transmission lines is most likely
insufficient for the transmission of large volumes of electricity.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The Turkmen proposal to send electricity
supplies to Siberia was portrayed as evidence that strained
Turkmen-Russian relations over gas are on the mend. At the same
time, the probability that Siberia will ever receive Turkmen
electricity is technically unlikely. The Russians will most likely
cover any electricity deficit caused by the accident via their own
electricity generation reserves and by importing additional volumes
of electricity from Kazakhstan. Although both Presidents hailed the
idea of Turkmen electricity to Siberia, neither President has yet to
announce that Turkmen gas definitely will be heading to Russia. END
COMMENT.
CURRAN
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB; NEA/IR
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/BURPOE/COHEN
COMMERCE FOR EHOUSE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EPET ENRG PGOV EINV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMEN ELECTRICITY EXPORTS TO SIBERIA?
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) International press reported recently that Turkmen
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stated that Turkmenistan is
ready to supply electricity to Siberia to supplement electricity
losses caused by the August 17 accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya
power station. Berdimuhamedov's statement reportedly came during
his meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on September 13,
2009. Press reports did not mention if the Presidents discussed
specific volumes of Turkmen electricity supplies.
3. (SBU) According to a former employee of the Turkmen Ministry of
Energy, the total capacity of Turkmenistan's eight power stations is
about 3,300 mega watts (MW),which means that Turkmenistan is
technically capable of producing about 20.5 billion kilowatt-hours
annually. The country's internal estimated consumption for 2009 is
13 billion kilowatt-hours. In addition, the Turkmen government
plans to export 2.6 billion kilowatt-hours to Afghanistan, Iran,
Turkey, and Tajikistan by the end of 2009.
4. (SBU) At face value, Turkmenistan will have some excess
electricity that it could transport to Russia through Uzbekistan and
Kazakhstan, since the power grids of all former Soviet Republics
remain connected. Nevertheless, energy experts maintain that it is
not possible to transmit electricity from Turkmenistan all the way
to Siberia because of inevitable power losses related to
long-distance electricity transmission. Moreover, experts assert
that the capacity of Uzbekistan's transmission lines is most likely
insufficient for the transmission of large volumes of electricity.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The Turkmen proposal to send electricity
supplies to Siberia was portrayed as evidence that strained
Turkmen-Russian relations over gas are on the mend. At the same
time, the probability that Siberia will ever receive Turkmen
electricity is technically unlikely. The Russians will most likely
cover any electricity deficit caused by the accident via their own
electricity generation reserves and by importing additional volumes
of electricity from Kazakhstan. Although both Presidents hailed the
idea of Turkmen electricity to Siberia, neither President has yet to
announce that Turkmen gas definitely will be heading to Russia. END
COMMENT.
CURRAN