DUSHANBE, April 17, 2009, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan will scarcely manage to reach energy independence in the coming four years, known Tajik economist, Dr, Hojimuhammad Umarov, said in an interview with Asia-Plus, commenting on president’s annual address to parliament.
According to him, it is impossible to reach energy independence and meet the country’s requirements in electrical power even in ten years due to the serious economic situation that emerged in the country and significant finance shortages.
“Even introduction of the Sangtuda-1 and Sangtuda-2 power plants into operation will not allow making any cardinal changes in the energy supply situation in the country,” said the expert, “There are other large hydroelectricity projects, including construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power station (HPS), but taking into consideration country’s poor reserves and opportunities as well as difficulties with attraction of foreign investments under the conditions of the ongoing financial crisis, there ought not to hope for implementation of these projects in the coming five-ten years.”
Professor Umarov considers that under the present conditions, it would be better for Tajikistan to concentrate on construction of small power plants. Construction of small power plants does not require significant funds and the small plants are repaid much quicker, according to him. “The government should adopt the program for development of the small power engineering in the country and set up a consortium for construction of an enterprise in the country for production of generators for small power plants,” the expert said.
He also questions the possibility of providing the country with its own natural gas within the next three years. “The largest companies dealing with exploration and development of gas deposits in Tajikistan are Canada’s Tethys Tajikistan Limited and Russia’s Zarubezhneftegaz; a contradictory information comes from them about possible reserves of gas fields in Tajikistan,” said Umarov, “One company says we will be provided with our own natural gas in a couple of years while the other one still cannot find natural gas here. Since there are no specific results, I think it is still premature to state about any natural-gas independence of Tajikistan within the next few years.”
