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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

The long-awaited day for Tajikistan, which often faces electricity shortage problems, has finally come.

President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon launched the first unit of the Rogun hydropower plant on November 16.

High-ranking representatives from various countries of the world, including Russia, Italy, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Belarus, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, other countries and authoritative regional and international organizations, arrived in Tajikistan to participate in this historic event.

Emomali Rahmon first put the 500 kV transmission line “Dushanbe-Rogun” into operation at the construction site by pressing a button.

The 500 kV “Dushanbe-Rogun” power line was built under the project “Restoration and construction of power lines in areas of republican subordination”, the total cost of which is 650 million somoni ($70 million). The project was launched in September 2017, and completion of work in this direction is scheduled for August 2021.

Then, he launched the activity of the Center for complete switchgear with gas-insulated insulation of the Rogun HPP.

Installation of gas-insulated switchgear was completed at a high-quality level with the participation of local experienced specialists in 2018.

At this closed facility, 19 units of 500 kV gas-insulated devices and 4 units of 220 kV are installed. Electricity from this object will flow into the country's integrated energy system through six 500 kV overhead power lines. Thus, this equipment will be supplied with electricity through a 220 kV double-circuit line to the Rogun Electric Substation.

The activity of this powerful center was carried out at a high level in cooperation with Siemens, a well-known German company.

Inside the gas-insulated switchgear building, 57 units of 500 kV poles of gas-insulated switches, 99 transformers, 30 extension modules, 168 units of distributors, 48 voltage transformers, 30 units of 500 kV voltage limiters are installed. Along with the 36th poles, medium power transmission modules are mounted. All 500 kV poles are equipped with protective metal structures.

Construction of the Rogun hydro power plant began on October 29, 2016, with the participation of Tajik president.

Rogun HPP is the most powerful facility in the cascade of stations on the Vakhsh River and consists of six units, each of which has a capacity of 600 MW. The Rogun hydropower plant with a capacity of 3,600 MW (more than 17 billion KW / h) will be the largest station in the region. This figure exceeds the one and a half times the production capacity of the Nurek Hydroelectric Power Plant.

Construction and installation work at the Rogun hydropower station is carried out with the involvement of 70 organizations and institutions, well-known local and foreign contractors, 22,000 specialists and workers, over 90 percent of whom are citizens of Tajikistan, as well as using 3,600 machines and mechanisms.

The World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Cyril Muller and Deputy Foreign Minister of the Italian Republic Manlio di Stefano also spoke at the ceremony in honour of the launch of the first unit of the Rogun HPP.

The government of Tajikistan, which has suffered from electricity shortages for years, makes all possible efforts to complete the construction of a dam that will solve the country’s problem.

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 also turn Tajikistan into a major exporter of electricity.

The Italian company Salini Impregilo is engaged in the construction of the Rogun power plant. In October 2016, Tajikistan launched work on the construction of a rock embankment dam, 335 meters high and $1.95 billion worth. The cost of the entire hydro power station is $3.9 billion.

At the end of January, the head of the company, Pietro Salini, after a meeting with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, told reporters that the first turbine of the Rogun hydro power plant will be launched on November 16, 2018.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

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