DUSHANBE, October 31, 2014, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan has reportedly extended the period of operation of the Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) for Iran by two years.
“Tajikistan has extended the period of operation of the Sangtuda-2 HPP for Iran by two years,” Seyed Mahmoud Sadri, a caretaker Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Tajikistan, told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to reliable sources, an agreement on extension of the period of operation of the Sangtuda-2 HPP for Iran by two years was signed in Dushanbe on September 10, during Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Tajikistan.
It means that revenues during first 14½ years will be paid to the Islamic Republic of Iran – and after that, ownership will be transferred to Tajikistan.
We will recall that Tajik and Iranian presidents unveiled the second generating unit at the Iranian-funded Sangtuda-2 HPP on September 10, 2014.
Construction of this plant commenced during the Soviet period in the 1980s, but halted in the beginning of the 1990s due to lack of financing. In 1995, Iran expressed interest in helping to finish the project, but an agreement was not signed until 2005. Construction of Sangtuda-2, a 220-megawatt plant on the Vakhsh River, officially commenced in February 2006. It is located some 120 kilometers southeast of Dushanbe.
The power plant has been built by Iranian company Sangab. The turnkey contractor was International Farab Co. The project was consulted by Mahab Ghods Engineering Company and the subcontractor was Omran Maroon Engineers Company.
The dam is an earth fill dam with clay core. Its height from the river bed is 31.5 meters and crest length is 3,185 meters.
Iran, which has put some 180 million U.S. dollars into the construction of the hydropower station, was supposed to operate it for the next 12½ years and then transfer control to Tajikistan, whose contribution to the construction costs amounted to around 40 million U.S. dollars.
The power plant is expected to help alleviate power shortages in Tajikistan during autumn-winter period.
The first 110 MW unit of the plant was introduced into operation on September 5, 2011. Tajik and Iranian presidents attended a joint ceremony to unveil the Sangtuda-2 dam and power plant.
Installation of the second 110 MW unit at the Sangtuda2 HPP was completed in May 2013.
