DUSHANBE, December 6, 2011, Asia-Plus — The CHP (Combined Heat and Power) plant is reportedly fully prepared for the heating season that started this year on December 1, the source in the Dushanbe CHP-plant said.
“However, Barqi Tojik power holding (tajik electricity supplier) has not yet given an instruction on introducing the Dushanbe CHP plant into operation, the source noted.
According to him, Barqi Tojik and Tojiktransgaz (Tajik natural-gas distributor) have already signed an agreement on supplying natural gas to the Dushanbe CHP plant.
Besides, the plant has stockpiled 13,000 tons of fuel oil, which is used as backup fuel for the plant that runs on natural gas. “Another 5,000 tons of fuel oil will be delivered to the plant within the next few days,” the source added.
The Dushanbe 198-megawatt CHP plant was introduced into operation in 1968. Specialists say if enough natural gas is supplied to the Dushanbe CHP-plant regularly, the plant is able to generate up to 2 million kWh of electric power per day.
We will recall that Chinese company, Tebian Electronic Apparatus Stock Company Limited (TBEA), will build a new 250-megawatt CHP plant in Dushanbe. The $200 million plant will be built in the Luchob area.
According to Barqi Tojik, TBEA will construct the plant on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. Once the CHP plant is built, all the revenue over the next 12 years will go to the investor and Tajikistan will become the owner of the CHP plant after this period expires. The first two lines of the plant are expected to begin operations in 2013.
Specialists say construction of the coal-powered plant is in compliance with Tajikistan’s environmental regulations.
Tajikistan relies almost exclusively on hydropower to generate electricity, which becomes scarce in the winter months when rivers freeze and water reservoir levels drop.
