DUSHANBE, October 31, Asia-Plus – “President Rahmonov has expressed position on the completion of constructing the Roghun power plant precisely and I have nothing to add to this statement,” Aleskey Silantyev, the first deputy head of the Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on October 30.
“The implementation of the Roghun project has been delayed over past two years and the terms of the agreement signed between the Tajik Government and Russian Aluminum (RusAl) have not been fulfilled,” said Silantyev, “Tasks set by the Russian company do not meet our interests.”
According to him, RusAl was expected to have invested more than 50 million US dollars into the first stage of the project this year, while actually they have invested little more than US$200,000. “RusAl intends to construct the Roghun hydropower plant in its own interest and does not care whether Tajikistan’s population will provided with electricity or not,” Tajik energy official stressed.
The Roghun plant is intended to provide power for an aluminum-production facility Rusal plans to construct in southern Tajikistan.
Silantyev also noted that the feasibility study conducted by Germany’s Lehmeyer International is based on the design for a hydropower plant with a 285-meter-high fill dam. “We insist on a 335-meter-high dam,” said the Barqi Tojik deputy head, “The Tajik side has designed a 335-metre high fill dam, which has successfully passed all kinds of tests.”
Silantyev added that if RusAl refuses to finish the construction of the Roghun hydropower plant, Tajikistan will return its funds spent on the project and find new investors,” Silantyev said, noting that the possibility of Pakistan’s implementing this project cannot be ruled out.
“Doors of Tajikistan for implementation of hydropower projects are open and all investors may come,” Silantyev said. .
President Rahmonov told an energy conference on October 27 that Tajikistan will begin the work on completing the construction the Roghun power plant next year with use of the national funds. The cost of the half-finished facility is US $804 million; a further US $2 billion is needed to complete the construction, according to the president.
