DUSHANBE, December 14, Asia-Plus – the construction of a dam of the Sangtuda-1 power plant on the Vakhsh River is scheduled to officially commence tomorrow morning, according to Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric system) power holding.
It is not clear yet who from Russia’s Unified Energy Systems (RAO YeES) will arrive in Tajikistan to attend this ceremony. However, Russian guests are expected to arrive in Tajikistan today afternoon.
Earlier, it was planned to the RAO YeES head Anatoly Chubais will arrive but cannot be ruled out that his first deputy Vyacheslav Voroni will replace him at a ceremony of an official beginning of the construction of the dam.
Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov is expected to attend the ceremony.
Tajikistan’s main resource is water, and Russia is stepping up efforts to develop the republic’s hydropower generating capacity. Construction of Sangtuda-1 started in April 2005, and Anatoly Chubais announced that contractors would intensify work to meet the construction deadline for the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power station. The power station is scheduled to go into full operation in 2009, with the first unit expected to begin generating electricity in April 2007. RAO YeES is spending approximately $500 million to build Sangtuda-1, and the Russian entity will retain 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 – enough to meet Tajikistan’s domestic needs and allow for the export of electricity, namely to Afghanistan.
In the meantime, on Tuesday December 12, a strict electricity rationing was introduced in Tajikistan again. The power cutback will last through December 20, and electricity blackout will hit the republic from December 15-17. Authorities link severe electricity shortages to efforts to build a dam on the Vakhsh River.
