DUSHANBE, July 22, 2008, Asia-Plus — The Minister of Energy and Industries Gul Sherali told a press conference in Dushanbe on July 22 that study conducted by German specialists has shown that construction of hydropower plant on the Zarafshon River will not affect irrigation in Uzbekistan.
According to him, the Uzbek side also realizes that the Zarafshon hydroelectricity project does not threaten irrigation of its lands. “The German specialists have properly grounded their assessment of the situation on the Zarafshon River, and we have sent the study results through the MFA to Uzbek and Chinese embassies,” the minister said.
In late June, some media in late June quoted the German expert, Professor Frank Schroder, as saying that implementation of the project for construction of hydroelectric power plant on the Zarafshon River will not affect irrigation in Uzbekistan. Professor Frank Schroder looked at the site for construction of the hydropower station on Zarafshon River and said that it did not threaten irrigation of neighboring Uzbekistan’s lands. Besides Uzbekistan can use electric energy produced by this power station, the expert noted. Uzbekistan earlier spoke against construction of the power station on the Zarafshon River in the Sughd province.
Speaking to reporters after his meeting with President Rahmon, outgoing German Ambassador to Tajikistan, Mr. Rainer Muller, noted on July 16 that on the instruction of Germany’s MFA the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) had conducted a survey for construction of the Zarafshon hydropower plant (HPP) in northern Tajikistan. “According to the survey, construction of the hydropower plant on the Zarafshon River will not affect the irrigation system in Uzbekistan,” the German diplomat said, adding that they hope the results of this survey will persuade Uzbekistan not to resist the issue of Tajikistan’s constructing hydropower plants on the Zarafshon River.
We will recall that China”s Sinohydro Corporation has been awarded a contract to build a large hydroelectric plant in northern Tajikistan. The relevant contract was signed on January 17, 2007 in Beijing, on the sidelines of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon”s visit to the Chinese capital. The project will reportedly be funded through a $200 million, low-interest Chinese loan. The Zarafshon plant should produce some 600 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year.
