Siemens to install its equipment at Rogun HPP soon
By Kamila Aliyeva
German Siemens will soon begin installation of equipment at the Rogun hydropower plant (HPP), an ambitious power project of Tajikistan.
“Within the framework of this construction project, German Siemens is supplying two gas-insulated high-voltage switchgears (GIS),” the company Azernews.
The work is conducted in accordance with the schedule, according to Siemens. The switchgears are expected to be fully installed and ready for operation by 2018.
In mid September, the company delegation visited Tajikistan and held meetings with the leadership of the republic, as well as with the company's partners in the region. Current and future joint projects in the energy, industrial and other sectors were discussed at the meetings.
During the talks between Dietrich Möller, President of Siemens in Russia and Central Asia, and Tajikistan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Said Davlatali, special emphasis was placed on the company's participation in the construction of the Rogun HPP.
The Rogun HPP is seen as a solution to the energy independence and a tool for economic growth. By implementing the project, Tajikistan will be able to generate about 13 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This will not only help the country to meet its domestic needs but will also make Tajikistan a major exporter of electricity.
Approximately $4 billion is needed to complete the country's main energy project - Rogun HPP. About 2 billion somoni have been allocated from the state budget for the completion of the hydroelectric power station this year.
The Tajik authorities decided to issue securities worth $1 billion for the completion of the Rogun HPP. The Parliament of Tajikistan on July 21 this year approved the government's proposal for issuing government securities to finance the energy sector. At the first stage, bonds worth $500 million were put up for sale on world markets.
The Rogun HPP construction project was developed during the Soviet era. Construction of the plant was initiated in 1976, but stopped after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Currently, the ambitious project’s future mostly depends on the issue of funding.
The HPP is being constructed on the upper reaches of the Vakhsh River in the Pamir mountain ranges, Republic of Tajikistan. The project is being developed by OJSC Rogun Hydropower Plant on behalf of the Government of Tajikistan.
The dam should form a large Rogun reservoir with a total volume of 13.3 cubic meters. The project is criticized because of the location in the zone of high seismicity, landslide and mudflow processes, and the presence of a tectonic fault filled with rock salt under the base of the dam.
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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva
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