DUSHANBE, April 10, 2009, Asia-Plus — A meeting of the commission for completion of construction of the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) has opened at the station site today morning.
According to Barqi Tojik power holding, the date of introduction of the station’s fourth unit into operation and final terms of turning over the station to consumer in a ready to use condition are among major topics of the meeting, presided over by Deputy Prime Minister, Asadullo Ghulomov.
We will recall that during an April 7 telephone conversation, Tajik and Russian presidents agreed that an official opening of the Sangtuda-1 HPP will be held in May.
The first unit of the Russian-built Sangtuda-1 station was introduced into operation on January 20, 2008. The second and the third units of the plant were also introduced into operation last year — on July 1 and November 6 respectively.
The construction of the Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant located some 110 kilometers southeast of Dushanbe began in the late 1980s. By the early 1990s, only 20% of the construction work had been completed, and further construction was suspended due to a civil war that broke out in Tajikistan in the early 1990s. The talks between Russia and Tajikistan on completing the construction of the Sangtuda-1 HPP began in 2003 and in 2004 the parties signed an inter-governmental agreement.
Russia retains a 75 percent share in the power plant, which will generate a projected 2.7 billion kWh of electricity per annum. The power station will have an estimated capacity of 670 MW.
