Currently, nine energy projects totaling more than 1.1 billion U.S. dollars are being implemented in Tajikistan, according to the Ministry of Energy and Water resources (MoEWR).
“Meanwhile, implementation of six other energy projects costing 212 million U.S. dollars will start in the country in the near future,” an official source at a MoEWR told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to him, they are currently seeking contractors for implementation of these projects.
Over the years of independence, twenty-five energy projects totaling 2.4 billion U.S. dollars have been implemented in the country, the source added.
In particular, Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant with capacity of 670 MW, Sangtuda-2 hydropower plant with capacity of 220 MW, Dushanbe-2 combined heat and power (CHP) plant with capacity of 400 MW, a number of small hydropower plants with total capacity of 30mW and numerous power transmission lines and other power facilities have been constructed in Tajikistan over the past twenty-eight years.
The launch of the first unit of the Roghun hydropower plant into operation is considered the most significant achievement in the country’s energy sector over the years of independence.
The second unit of this hydropower plant is expected to be introduced into operation within the next few days, on September 9.
Roghun hydropower plant is an embankment dam in the preliminary stages of construction on the Vakhsh River in southern Tajikistan. It is one of the planned hydroelectric power plants of Vakhsh Cascade.
Once it is completed — by 2033, if all goes to plan — Roghun should comprise a total of six 600-megawatt generating units. At peak annual capacity, the plant should be able to produce up to 17 billion kilowatt hours of electricity.
The government hopes the Roghun hydropower plant will help end power rationing in winter months while also allowing Tajikistan to boost energy exports to its neighbors, such as Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
