The French company, CARPI Tech, has expressed its willingness to participate in implementing priority projects in Tajikistan's energy sector, the press center of the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MoEWR) of Tajikistan reports.
This statement was reportedly made on February 19 during a meeting between the MoEWR leadership and representatives of the French company.
"In particular, the company has shown interest in building hydroelectric power stations on the Zarafshan River," the report highlights.
During the meeting, CARPI Tech representatives presented information about the company's activities, its potential, international experience, and completed projects, particularly in the construction of dam hydroelectric power stations in various countries around the world.
According to the Ministry of Energy, the potential of the Zarafshan River (together with its tributaries, the Mastchoh and Fondaryo rivers) is estimated at 33.94 billion kWh per year.
There are 13 sites suitable for building hydroelectric power stations with reservoirs. The river’s length is 877 km, and its catchment area covers 12,300 km².
It is worth recalling that in 2018, the governments of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed agreements on the terms and conditions of joint participation in the construction and operation of hydropower plants in the Zarafshan River basin. This document envisions the joint construction of two hydroelectric power stations on the Zarafshan River, with a total capacity of 320 MW.
The Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan earlier reported that the construction of the hydroelectric power stations will be carried out in stages: initially, the construction of the Yovon hydropower plant (HPP), with an estimated cost of US$282 million, a capacity of 140 MW, and an output of 700-800 million kWh of electricity. In the next stage, the parties will consider the possibility of constructing a hydropower plant on the Fondaryo River, with an estimated cost of US$270 million, a capacity of 135 MW, and an output of 500-600 million kWh of electricity.
The project will be financed through loans and grants from international financial organizations, as well as from the parties' own funds, which will be invested into the charter fund of the jointly created enterprise.
The constructed hydropower plants will generate up to 1,400 million kWh of environmentally clean electricity, exclusively for the needs of Uzbekistan.
The project will also support the peak power capacity of the unified energy system and create additional jobs during the joint construction and operation of the hydropower plants. Moreover, it will facilitate the flow of electricity to other regions of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan on an equitable basis.
Established in 1963, CARPI started as waterproofing contractor for roofing, traffic tunnels and waste landfills. Since 1970 waterproofing of hydraulic structures with synthetic geomembranes became its main field of activity. The company provides solutions to leakage through any hydraulic structure.
