DUSHANBE, August 29, Asia-Plus — An official introduction of the first unit of the Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) into operation will take place on September 4.
We will recall that the source at the representative office of Iran’s Sangab Company in Dushanbe told Asia-Plus on Saturday (August 27) that introduction of the first unit of the Sangtuda-2 HPP is postponed for at least two months. According to him, last year’s halting of Tajikistan-bound freight cars on Uzbek territory has affected construction of the Sangtuda-2 HPP that Iran is financing and building in southern Tajikistan.
In the meantime, a source in the Iranian Embassy in Dushanbe told Asia-Plus on Monday that there are no any serious problems and “the first unit of the plant is fully made ready for introduction into operation.”
The BBC’s Tajik Service cited unnamed source in the Iranian Embassy in Dushanbe as saying that increase in prices of building materials and fuels and Tajikistan-bound cargo transit problems have affected the Sangtuda-2 project cost. The project cost will allegedly increase by 65-70 million U.S. dollars. The issues of additional financing of the project will be resolved, most likely, during negotiations between the leaders of both countries. An appropriate document confirming increase in the cost of the project must be signed, the source said.
Construction of Sangtuda-2, a 220-megawatt plant on the Vakhsh River, officially commenced in February 2006. It is located some 120 kilometers southeast of Dushanbe. Iran has invested US$180 million and Tajikistan US$40 million in the project. Once the power station is built, all the revenue over the next 12.5 years will go to the investor and Tajikistan will become the owner of Sangtuda-2 after this period expires.
A well-informed source told Asia-Plus on Monday that most likely, the Iranian side will insist on extending the plant-operating period from 12½ to 15 years. “Anyway, this issue will be discussed at the level of heads of state,” he noted.
