DUSHANBE, July 1, 2009, Asia-Plus — The possibility of conducting feasibility study for implementation of the project for construction of hydro electric power plant near Lake Sarez was discussed at a meeting of Mr. A. Rahmonov, the first deputy head of the State Committee for Investments and State-owned Property Management (GosKomInvest), with Ms. Wendi Werner, Project Manager for the IFC (International Finance Corporation) Business Enabling Environment Project, and representatives of the World Bank Dushanbe Office, according to the GosKomInvest press service.
The meeting was held in Dushanbe on June 24.
Expressing IFC readiness to conduct the feasibility study in cooperation with STUCKY Ltd., a leading Switzerland based hydro power engineering and management firm, Ms. Werner noted that IFC is ready to thoroughly study issues related to implementation of this project, the press service said.
The sides came to an agreement to hold the next meeting for further consideration of the issue with participation of specialists from STUCKY Ltd and IFC in early July this year.
Lake Sarez is a natural wonder of Tajikistan, containing 17 billion cubic meters of one of Central Asia’s scarcest commodities – water. Tajik leaders are currently searching for a way to unlock the lake’s economic potential.
We will recall that international conference on Lake Sarez that was held in Dushanbe in May 2007 considered ways to minimize the risks of a natural disaster. During the conference it was noted that one of the long-term options could be to gradually lower the water level at the lake. Some experts proposed the construction of a safety-valve tunnel which could divert water into the Murgab River while others proposed construction of a hydro-electric plant.
