DUSHANBE, August 11, 2009, Asia-Plus — Turkey’s SUNSET Enerji Sistemleri plans to start construction of a medium-sized hydroelectric power plant (HPP) on the Zarafshon River in northern Tajikistan in the near future, according to the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI).
Senior representatives from a MoEI met with representatives of the Turkish company here recently.
“During the meeting, the MoEI representatives submitted a number of hydroelectricity projects for consideration to foreign investors,” said the MoEI source, “The sides reached the preliminary agreement that SUNSET Enerji Sistemleri will undertake to implement the project for construction of the hydropower plant on the Zarafshon River in Sughd’s Panjakent district; however, the final response on this subject will be given after the Turkish company specialists study the package of projects submitted for their consideration.”
The estimated budget for construction of a 60MW power station on the Zarafshon River is some 100 million U.S. dollars, the source said.
Uzbekistan has opposed the project for construction of power plants on the Zarafshon River and China’s Sinohydro Corporation has suspended implementation of the project for construction of the Zarafshon, or Yovon, power plant because of Uzbekistan’s allegations that construction of the plant would affect irrigation and ecology in Uzbekistan.
In the meantime, the German expert, Professor Frank Schroder, said in June 2008 that implementation of the Zarafshon HPP construction project will not affect irrigation in Uzbekistan. Professor Frank Schroder looked at the site for construction of the hydropower station on Zarafshon River and said that it did not threaten irrigation of neighboring Uzbekistan’s lands.
We will recall that Sinohydro Corporation has been awarded a contract to build a large hydroelectric plant in northern Tajikistan. The relevant contract was signed on January 17, 2007 in Beijing, on the sidelines of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon”s visit to the Chinese capital. The project is reportedly funded through a $200 million, low-interest Chinese loan. The Zarafshon plant should produce some 600 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year.
