The Ministry of Energy and New Technologies (MoINT) of Tajikistan urges Barqi Tojik (Tajikistan’s state-owned power utility company) to repay its debts to the country’s coal mining enterprises.
An official source at a MoINT says that since Barqi Tojik fails to repay its debts opportunely, the coal mining enterprises cannot begin developing new coal seams.
“Over the first six months of this year, Barqi Tojik’s debts for coal has increased by 13.1 million somoni (equivalent to some 1.4 million U.S. dollars),” the source said.
As of July 1, 2019, Barqi Tojik owes 31 million somoni (equivalent to nearly 3.3 million U.S. dollars) to Fon-Yaghnob Mine and 21.3 million somoni (equivalent to more than 2.2. million U.S. dollars) to the Tajik Metallurgical Plan LLC.
Barqi Tojik acquires coal for the coal-powered Dushanbe-2 combined heat and power (CHP) plant.
It is to be noted that Tajikistan’s power utility company is now in a difficult financial state. As of January 1, 2019, Barqi Tojik’s total debts reportedly amounted to 23.1 billion somoni (equivalent to some 2.5 billion U.S. dollars).
Tajikistan’s power sector is comprised of the vertically integrated energy company, Barqi Tojik, three independent power producers (IPPs), and a concession in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) combining power generation and distribution.
Barqi Tojik is fully owned by the Government. It owns and operates most of the electricity generating plants and is also responsible for electricity transmission, dispatch, and distribution services to around 8 million people in all regions of the country except for GBAO.
Two of the IPPs – Sangtuda-1 and Sangtuda-2 hydropower plants (HPPs) – were constructed with investments from Russian and Iranian state-owned companies, and supply electricity to Barqi Tojik under 20-year power purchase agreements (PPAs). Third IPP – Roghun HPP – is under construction.
Pamir Energy Company (PEC) generates and supplies electricity to around 200,000 people in GBAO under 25-year concession agreement.
