DUSHANBE, January 9, Asia-Plus — Andrey Rappoport, member of the board of Russia’s Unified Energy Systems (RAO YeES), arrived in Dushanbe today morning to control a process of preparation of the first of four units of the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power station (HPS) for launch, Asia-Plus has learned at open joint-stock company (OJSC) Sangtuda HPS-1.
Rappoport is expected to attend a ceremony of introduction of the unit into non-load operation that is scheduled for January 13.
W will recall that Rappoport was in Tajikistan last month to clarify the reasons for the delay in launch of the unit. The planned launch scheduled for December 21 was delayed until January 18.
The first unit of the Sangtuda-1 plant will have a planned capacity of 220 million kWh, and once all four units are completed, the station will have an annual projected capacity of 2.7 billion kWh of electricity.
In the meantime, the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI) said that despite recent heavy snowfalls, work on construction of the Sangtuda-1 station was carried out in accordance with schedule. .
However, some sources said that the snowfall made construction work rather difficult. “But despite these difficulties, the first of four units of the Sangtuda-1 station will be put into operation in time, on January 18,” the source at OJSC Sangtuda HPS-1 said, noting that work on mounting the first unit is in full swing.
Russia’s state-controlled energy entity Unified Energy Systems (RAO YeES) intends to launch the first unit into operation on January 18, 2008.
Anatoly Chubais, head of Russia’s state-controlled energy entity YeES, last month said in an interview with Russia’s news agency Itar-Tass that he had approved the schedule of launch of the first unit – January 18, 2008. “I am sure we will launch it,” Chubais said, reminding that the first unit should have been launched in March 2008 but the Tajik government requested to speed up the launch of the first unit.
Russia’s Unified Energy Systems has spent approximately $500 million to build Sangtuda-1, and the Russian entity 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 – enough to meet Tajikistan’s domestic needs and allow for the export of electricity, namely to Afghanistan.
