DUSHANBE, February 28, 2015, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan has reportedly announced a tender for purchase of equipment and construction of dam for the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP).
According to information posted on an official website of the Unit for Implementation of the Power Plant Construction Projects under the President of Tajikistan, the construction of the plant will start in the second half-year of 2016 in the framework of four main contracts. The plant is expected to be finished in 2027.
The project will be financed by Tajikistan and probably by other sources and four main contracts are planned to be concluded: 1) delivery, installation and commissioning of electromechanical equipment for four units (4×600 MW); 2) construction of the main dam; 3) construction of right-bank works, hydraulic tunnels, spillways, stabilization work and hydromechanical equipment; and 4) construction of left-bank works and completion of construction of underground facilities.
Consortium consisting of Tractebel Engineering, Coyne et Bellier, and Electroconsult is reportedly providing technical assistance to Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) NBO Roghun.
The Roghun HPP is expected to have a reservoir with multi-year regulation mode with a dam height of 335 m, located on the Vaksh River upstream of the existing Nurek HPP cascade. The installed capacity is proposed to be 6×600 MW (totaling 3,600 MW) and the annual power generation would be 13,300 GWh.
We will recall that Tajikistan established Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) NBO Roghun with an authorized capital of 116 million somoni for completing the construction of the Roghun station in April 2008 after it formally revoked a contract with Russia”s RusAl aluminum company for the construction of the Roghun HPP in August 2007. The Tajik government accused the Russian company of failing to fulfill the contract signed in 2004. Tajik authorities and RusAl became bogged down in the hydroelectric plant”s dam model and height, crucial factors in its capacity.
To raise funds to complete construction of the Roghun HPP the government started to sell shares in Roghun to people on January 6, 2010. Tajikistan has reportedly issued 6 billion somoni worth of Roghun shares.
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.
