DUSHANBE, November 9, 2012, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan will build the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP) in any case, even if we will have to change parameters, Kamoliddin Sirojiddinov, an expert in the Tajik energy sector, told Asia-Plus in an interview Friday afternoon.
He believes that Tajikistan and downstream countries will make a compromise and the Roghun HPP will be introduced into operation within the next few years.
Sirojiddinov also pointed to the necessity of preserving the dam parameters mentioned in the project. “For example, if we lower the dam height by 80 meters, the plant will generate 5 billion kWh of electricity less per year,” the expert noted.
Deputy of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) Shodi Shabdolov, who is also leader of the Communist Party of Tajikistan (CPT), also pointed to the necessity of continuation of construction of the Roghun HPP.
“As far as the assessment studies for the Roghun hydroelectricity project are concerned, they are more and more assuming political color,” said Shabdolov. “I am sure that if Tajikistan agrees to lower the dam height, all debates around the project will stop.”
He stressed that any reasonable hydropower specialists realizes that “if the dam height is lowered, the plant’s capacity will drop and expenditure on maintenance of the facility will increase.” “Besides, the effectiveness of the Roghun reservoir for irrigation of new lands in Central Asia will decrease several times,” Shabdolov said.
“The World Bank, which has been financing the assessment studies for the Roghun project, resembles political club rather than financial institution and I do not believe that the World Bank can assess Roghun’s construction impartially.”
We will recall that in response to a request by the Government of Tajikistan, the World Bank has supported two assessment studies to evaluate the viability of the proposed Roghun Hydropower Project (HPP) according to international standards. The studies have been conducted by international consultant firms contracted on a competitive basis by the Government of Tajikistan and financed through an IDA project with assistance of World Bank experts.
The studies will provide the Government of Tajikistan, the World Bank, the other Central Asian countries and the international community with information about key elements associated with the proposed Roghun HPP, such as the project’s technical soundness and safety, economic viability and compliance with all relevant environmental and social safeguards.
Tajikistan’s plans to build the Roghun HPP have raised serious concerns across the border in Uzbekistan. Uzbek officials argue that because it could take up to 18 years to fill, the Roghun project will severely reduce the amount of water flowing into Uzbekistan.
