Turkmenistan wants to supply electricity to Europe

Turkmenistan is pushing ahead with its ambitious plans to supply electricity to as far away as western Europe.

Turkmenistan, warming up to outside contacts after decades of self-imposed isolation, will push ahead with ambitions to supply electricity to as far away as western Europe, state media reported on Wednesday. Central Asia’s top natural gas producer, negotiating participation in a proposed EU-backed gas pipeline, is at the centre of competition between Russia and the West over its energy resources and strategic location.

On Wednesday, official media reported Turkmenistan, which exports power mainly to neighbours Afghanistan and Iran, was looking at ways to diversify supplies.

“In the future Turkmen electricity producers plan to raise exports significantly and not only to nearby nations but also to Pakistan and western Europe,” wrote the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper, which conveys the official line.

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It did not say how the desert nation intended to transport power to far-off customers but added Turkmenistan, which generates electricity using gas, will raise annual production by a third to 20 billion kilowatt-hours in three to four years.

The ex-Soviet state has been emerging from global isolation since President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov came to power in late 2006 promising to reform Turkmenistan’s Soviet-style economy and attract more foreign investment.