DUSHANBE, January 30, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan intends to increase its ownership share in the joint stock company Santuda-1, Sirojiddin Saidov, deputy head of Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 29.
We will recall that Russia’s Unified Energy Systems (RAO YeES) has undertaken to complete the construction of Tajikistan’s Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant. Tajikistan owns 25 percent of the shares and the RAO YeES assumes the 75% ownership interest in the joint-stock company Sangtuda-1.
According to Saidov, Russia is currently negotiating with international financial institutions, including the World Bank, the possibility of receiving a loan for continuing the construction of the Sangtuda-1 station in exchange for 24 percent of its ownership shares. “Meanwhile, Tajikistan has also applied to the World Bank for a loan in order to increase its ownership share in the Santuda-1 project from 25 percent to 49 percent,” the Barqi Tojik official said, adding that a tripartite meeting to make a final decision on this issue will be held in Washington in mid-February.
With a rated capacity of 670 megawatt and 2.7 billion kWh of electricity per annum, the Sangtuda-1 power plant is expected to meet the local energy demand and provide excess power to sell abroad. The investment in the project will total $482.7 million. The first generator is expected to be put into operation in December this year.
