DUSHANBE, November 13, 2009, Asia-Plus — Administration of open joint-stock company (OJSC) Sangtudinskaya GES-1 (Sangtuda-1 HPP) has warned Tajik authorities of possible interruption in generation of electricity by the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric plant (HPP) beginning on December 1 due to 28.3 million somoni in arrears that Barqi Tojik power holding owes to Sangtudinskaya GES-1.
The Sangtudinskaya GES-1 director Rakhmetulla Alzhanov sent an official letter on this subject to Tajik Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov on November 13.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Alzhanov said that as of November 12, Barqi Tojik owed 28.3 million somoni to them and the Tajik power holding’s debts might increase to more than 42 million somoni by November 30. “The station is continuing to generate electricity under these conditions, however, debt nonpayment endangers normal operation of the station and regular provision of the population with electricity in autumn-winter period.”
In the letter, the Sangtudinskaya GES-1 administration, in particular, draws attention of Tajik prime minister to the fact that “because of inaction of Barqi Tojik the Sangtuda-1 HPP is facing serious financial problems.”
According to Alzhanov, the letter says that Sangtudinskaya GES-1 does not have funds to pay wages to builders and power engineering specialists. The problem of ensuring safety of all four units of the station needing planned repairs also evokes concern.
“Under the circumstances, if the debt is not paid off, the station administration will be forced to stop generation of electrical power,” the letter said.
We will recall that President Emomali Rahmon and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev officially unveiled the fourth and last unit of the Sangtuda-1 HPP on July 31 this year.
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 has an estimated capacity of 670 MW.
