AKIPRESS.COM – Mass power outages has begun in Tajikistan, Asia-Plus writes on September 25.

Electricity began to be cut off during the day in rural regions of Tajikistan, and at night in some places.

There has been no light in some villages in Tursunzade for the third day, locals say. Employees of local networks explain this by preparing for the coming winter – repairing equipment, replacing burnt-out switches in transformers, cutting down trees that interfere with power lines.

No repair work is reported and electricity is cut off without warning not only for the population, but also in retail outlets and small businesses.

Asia-Plus received information from Penjikent that their lights are turned off from 10 pm to 4 am, and there was no light in some districts even during the day. Residents of Bokhtar, in turn, reported that they have no electricity in the regional center.

Residents of the 102nd microdistrict of Dushanbe complained to the publication about a power outage during the day.

The power distribution networks of Kulyab confirm interruptions in the supply of electricity, but they explain this by repair work. This is the situation in most districts of Sughd and Khatlon regions, as well as in the districts under central government jurisdiction.

The government in spring obliged energy workers to properly prepare for winter. The system should have been fully operational at the beginning of autumn. For some reason, they started preparing energy facilities only now, Asia-Plus notes.

Tajikistan exported electricity worth over $22.2 million this August. This is $3.2 million and $5.5 million more than in July and June of this year. Power outages are also associated with increased losses.

Source: Akipress

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ASTANA – Volunteering in Kazakhstan is gaining momentum and has developed distinctively in each region of the country, taking into account economic and climate conditions. Executive Director of the National Volunteer Network (NVN), Tatiana Mironyuk, who participated in research on volunteering and developed several methodologies for social projects, spoke with The Astana Times about her volunteer experience, its development in the country and what one needs to learn to help people.

Volunteers play a crucial role in community development, healthcare, education, environmental conservation and disaster relief.

According to the NVN data, there are over 3,500 volunteer organizations in the country launching more than 1,000 projects, including 542 social, 100 environmental, 87 cultural, 64 medical, 63 in sports, and 45 in other fields.

“I have been involved in volunteering for over 18 years, making it difficult to pinpoint why I initially started. I was young and didn’t fully grasp the concept, but I simply had a strong desire to help and contribute to something meaningful,” said Mironyuk.

In 2013, she became the head of the Shanyrak volunteer center in Temirtau (a city in the Karaganda Region), which prioritized social initiatives and assisted children and teenagers from disadvantaged communities. After four years, she received an invitation to join NVN, where she has been working for the past six years.

“Despite the advancement and stable work, volunteering in rehabilitation centers remains a priority for me. It brings me great pleasure to have the opportunity to help children in a psychoneurological dispensary,” she said. 

Mironyuk explained that the NVN is a voluntary association of individuals and legal entities that aims to promote, support and develop a culture of volunteering among citizens, civil society institutions, businesses and government agencies.

“It serves as a platform for any volunteer initiative or group of people to promote volunteerism, recommendations, establish rules in this field, set the standards of state support for volunteerism and offer training programs,” she said. “All volunteer organizations and initiative groups in the country are self-sufficient, and we unite, help and collaborate with them purely on a partnership basis.”

Mironyuk emphasized that volunteering is free, gratuitous and should be done for the good of society. 

“Volunteering is built upon these three pillars which are immutable. I would also include the principle of refraining from causing harm, because it holds great importance to me. I aspire for the next generation to avoid our mistakes, take into consideration our experience, and progress by advancing the development of this sector,” she said.  

Mironyuk pointed out the significance of volunteer awareness in this field. It is crucial for volunteers to have a clear understanding of why they do it, what motivates them and the benefits they seek from volunteering. 

“A volunteer is a person who has their own principles, desires, and opportunities, such as believing in their ability to make a difference, creating positive change, being accepted by a group, or seeing it as an opportunity for career advancement. It is important to understand what motivates you and acknowledge the need for personal gain, regardless of how self-serving or materialistic it sounds,” Mironyuk said. 

“If you are drawn to volunteer work because you like the T-shirt given at a particular event, then go ahead and get that T-shirt and enjoy what you do. Finding personal enjoyment and recognizing one’s own accomplishments are important aspects that volunteers should derive from any activity they participate in,” she added.

Mironyuk also advised novice volunteers to explore various opportunities. In her opinion, individuals new to this field should reflect on their interests and preferred directions to determine what they enjoy. 

“There are numerous options for individuals to showcase their skills and contribute, such as working with animals and shelters, assisting children, supporting the elderly and people with disabilities, among other areas. It is important not to limit oneself to a single organization or area of focus. Instead, individuals should search within themselves to identify what truly matters and brings them joy. Once they discover their passion, their impact will multiply,” she concluded.

Source: Astana Times

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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power has signed three power purchase agreements worth $2.5 billion with the National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan to build solar photovoltaic power plants in the Central Asian country.    

The company said in a bourse filing that the plants will be located in Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara regions of Uzbekistan.  

According to the statement, the project, upon completion, is expected to offset 1.6 million tons of carbon emissions per year and power 1.1 million homes.    

ACWA Power further noted that the power purchase agreement covers three solar PV plants at the site, one developing 400 megawatts of wind power and the other two developing 500 megawatts.    

The agreement also covers three Battery Energy Storage Systems with a total combined capacity of 1,500 megawatts.  

The bourse filing added that the deal covers the development, construction and operation of the project, and the contract has a duration of 25 years upon the completion of the project.    

“The financial impact of the contracted revenues is expected to materialize once the plants become commercially available expected currently expected in third quarter of 2025 and the third quarter of 2026,” said ACWA Power in the filing.    

Source : Arabnews

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