DUSHANBE, January 20, 2009, Asia-Plus — The first unit of the Russian-built hydroelectric power plant (HPP) Sangtuda-1 was introduced into operation exactly a year ago, on January 20, 2008. During 2008, the second and the third units of the plant were also introduced into operation on July 1 and November 6 respectively.
Since January 20, 2008, the station has generated more than 1.237 billion kWh of electricity, according to open joint-stock company (OJSC) Sangtuda HPP-1, which has been constructing the station.
Introduction of the fourth unit into operation is scheduled for February 25, 2009. However, the Sangtuda-1 plant will be completely finished in March 2009. Under government-to-government agreement between Tajikistan and Russia the delivery of the station, including all necessary infrastructure and social facilities, to the customer is scheduled for late March 2009.
As it had been reported earlier, the Sangtuda-1 station last year sold electricity to Barqi Tojik at the rate of 1.15 cents per one kWh, while on January 1, 2009, the electricity rate was raised to 3.1 cents.
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.
The source at OJSC Sangtuda HPP-1 reminded that Sangtuda HPP-1 set up the Roghun directorate in July 2008 for the Roghun hydroelectricity project. “Two module concrete mixing plants and the crushing-and-screening unit have already been relocated to the site for construction of the Roghun HPP,” the source said, noting that 153 people now work with the Roghun directorate.
