DUSHANBE, August 25, 2008, Asia-Plus — Addressing critical power shortages and promoting energy security in Tajikistan is the goal of a USTDA grant awarded to the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI) on August 25.
According to the US Embassy in Dushanbe, The $875,378 grant will fund investment analysis on the coal mining component of a proposed integrated coal mining and power generation project at Fon Yaghnob, Tajikistan.
The grant was officially conferred during a signing ceremony held at the Ministry of Energy and Industries in Dushanbe. U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan Tracey Ann Jacobson and His Excellency Gul Sherali, Minister of Energy and Industries, signed the grant agreement on behalf of the U.S. Government and the Ministry, respectively.
To offset seasonal variations in domestic production of hydroelectricity, the Government of Tajikistan has decided to construct a coal-fired power plant at or near Fon Yaghnob. The project seeks to generate enough electricity to satisfy winter time domestic demand, and to export surplus electricity to energy deficient markets in South Asia. The USTDA-funded study will examine the level, quality, and mine-mouth costs of the coal reserves at Fon Yaghnob and determine whether or not they are sufficient to support a coal-fired power plant.
The opportunity to conduct the USTDA-supported study for the Ministry will be competed on the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website at
www.fbo.gov
. Interested U.S. firms should submit proposals according to the instructions contained in the FBO announcement. The Ministry will select the U.S. firm that will provide the assistance.
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, early investment analysis, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. USTDA’s strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.
