Electric power is ‘daily bread’ for industry ensuring the operation of all mechanisms from sewing machines to steel furnaces, various control and automation systems. Therefore, strong power industry is the groundwork of a country’s sustainable development, its economic growth. Today Turkmenistan is one of the world’s energy producers that completely satisfies the domestic needs in and exports electric power.

Power industry is a leading sector of Turkmen economy, and its history is the reflection of the country’s consistent development. The first and most high-powered station of its age in Central Asia was built on the Murghab River in 1913. The turbines of the Hindu Kush power station are still in the ranks. Serving as the museum of Turkmen power industry the station delivers a current, it works. Its contribution to the power grid is quite symbolic, and it is rather a symbol giving vivid evidence that it has always had particular interest in reliable technologies. Much water has flowed under the bridges since then, power engineers have started to use natural gas as the main fuel, several generations of state-of-art generating units have changed one another.

However, such a breakthrough that Turkmen power industry made in recent years the history of this sector has never known. The task to achieve energy sovereignty was fulfilled within the shortest period. In 1992 the Kuwwat State Electric Power Corporation was founded and in 1995 – the Ministry f Energy and Industry of Turkmenistan including mechanical engineering. In those years when the regions such as the Dashoguz Velayat and the right bank of the Amu Darya River were connected to the power grid the need in importing electric power fell away. Moreover, the growth of electric power production enabled the country to export it.

There is every requisite for that – the countless gas pools and advanced technologies and what is more important is the desire to work for a result. The new generation of General Electric gas turbine plants distinguished for the high quality and reliability were used. These plants can be assembled within several months especially in the regions with the scanty water resources. The first plant delivered a current at the Abadan station in 1998. Later such gas turbines were put into operation at the Turkmenbashi oil refineries, Balkanabat power station and Ashgabat power station put into operation in 2006. The ceremony of putting Dashoguz gas turbine power station into operation took place quite recently, on December 7, 2007. The leaders of Turkmenistan and Turkey took part in the ceremony. The capacity of Dashoguz power station is 1.5 billion kWt/h a year. It will satisfy the needs of the northern region of Turkmenistan, deliver electric power to the power grid and enhance the country’s export potential.

As of today, the total capacity of all the power stations throughout Turkmenistan is 3.485,600 mWt and the gas turbine power plants produce 28.9 percent of electric power output. Production capacities have never been expanded so considerably before. And this is the beginning. In the nearest future the generating units will be built at Balkanabat power station – in one of the dynamically developed regions of the country. The project on construction of a power station has been launched in Avaza. Another gas turbine plant is under construction to the east of Ashgabat in the Ahal Velayat that has been conditioned by the increased demand of the population and enterprises in electric power.

So that electric power could be interruptedly supplied to thousands of consumers throughout the country the programmes on further development and technology modernization of the distribution network amounted to millions of US dollars are elaborated. The programmes stipulates for modernizing the power networks in the other towns and settlements. The National Programme on improvement of the social living conditions in rural areas till 2020 stipulates for laying over 24,000 kilometres of power transmission lines.

The accelerated growth in capacity of the country’s power system is the barest necessity and adequate respond to modern challenges. Thus, domestic electric power consumption is forecasted to rise 1.5 times and electric power export – to increase to 11.57 billion kWt/h in Turkmenistan by 2020. Electric power export to Turkey, Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan is steadily increased, Turkmen power engineers are interested in expanding on the foreign markets. Turkmenistan provides considerable assistance to Afghanistan in reviving national economy – our engineers constructed and reconstructed over 300 kilometres of power transmission lines in the northern and southwestern provinces of this country. The works will be continued. Under the bilateral agreement the citizens of the neighbouring country study for power engineers at the State Energy Institute in Mary. This is an aspect of neutral Turkmenistan’s peacemaking policy in the region.

The best international practice and innovative approaches are widely applied in power industry – a leading sector of Turkmen economy. That will be vividly demonstrated by the International Exhibition and Conference Basic Trends in Development of Turkmenistan’s Power Industry, which will start its work in Ashgabat on August 21. The forum ill be an opportunity for numerous Turkmen and foreign specialists and guests to get acquainted with the achievements in power industry and mechanical engineering. The foreign companies will present the latest technologies and products. The need in electric power is increased with every passing year, and never stopping at what has been accomplished the sector is to fulfill new tasks.