Uzbekistan set to leave Central Asian unified power system

Uzbekistan is set to withdraw from Central Asia's unified power system, a senior official at the ex-Soviet nation's Uzbekenergo state-run electricity company said on Thursday.

TASHKENT, November 5 (RIA Novosti) - Uzbekistan is set to withdraw from Central Asia's unified power system, a senior official at the ex-Soviet nation's Uzbekenergo state-run electricity company said on Thursday.

The UPS is a synchronous transmission grid of the CIS countries.

"The unified power system of Central Asia is becoming outdated [and] becoming a source of conflicts between member countries over the maintenance for the sustainable operation of national energy systems," Esso Sadullayev said.

He also said the central Asian state was currently taking energy security measures to enable it to maintain the stability of its own power system.

Sadullayev said Uzbekistan was seeking to obtain guarantees against unsanctioned electricity tapping and protect its domestic power systems from external effects.

In late October, Kazakhstan's Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC), a national transmission grid operator in Kazakhstan, reported unsanctioned electricity bleeds, in particular by Tajikistan.

KEGOC warned against the threat of "serious power supply limitations" for consumers at the power center in southern Kazakhstan and a "consecutive possibility of provoking a system failure that would affect power systems of both Kazakhstan and Russia."

Kazakh Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Duisenbai Turganov announced on Tuesday his country's decision to withdraw from the organization.

Turkmenistan was the first to abandon the system in June 2003.