Tajikistan is set to achieve complete energy independence by 2027, according to Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, The Caspian Post reports citing Interfax.
"Starting from May 2027, thanks to electricity production at the Rogun Hydropower Plant and the cascade of hydropower plants on the Vakhsh river, the electricity deficit in the country will be fully eliminated, and Tajikistan will achieve complete energy independence," Rahmon said in an address to the national parliament.
The prime minister, deputy prime minister overseeing the energy sector, the energy and water resources minister, other ministries and agencies, the leadership of JSC Rogun Hydropower Plant and other energy companies have been instructed to take measures to ensure timely implementation of state investment projects, including those aimed at reducing energy losses.
Almost 50% of construction work on the Rogun HPP has been completed, Rahmon said. Over the past two years, more than 9 billion somoni (around $820 million) have been allocated from the state budget for this purpose. In this context, collaboration is underway with several international financial organizations and partners to attract concessional funds totaling 33 billion somoni ($3 billion), including 12.5 billion somoni ($1.14 billion) in grants.
"To date, agreements have been signed with six organizations to finance energy projects amounting to 10 billion somoni, including 3.8 billion somoni in grants, with their investment set to begin in 2025," he said.
In particular, the World Bank's board of directors has decided to allocate an initial grant of 3.8 billion somoni for the construction of the Rogun HPP. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has provided concessional loans of 2.9 billion somoni, the Islamic Development Bank - 1.6 billion somoni, the Saudi Fund for Development - 1.1 billion somoni, the OPEC Fund for International Development - 272 million somoni and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development - 180 million somoni.
The government is taking measures to achieve energy independence and ensure the sustainable development of the national economy, Rahmon said. Work continues for the reconstruction and modernization of the Nurek and Kayrakkum hydropower plants, with a total cost of 6.9 billion somoni, and the construction of the Sebzor plant, which costs 700 million somoni.
To date, two units of the Nurek HPP and three units of the Kayrakkum HPP have been fully reconstructed.
By 2025, following reconstruction and modernization of three more units at the Kayrakkum HPP, its capacity will be increased by an additional 24 MW, reaching 174 MW. Another unit at the Nurek HPP will also be reconstructed, boosting its capacity by 40 MW. The construction of the Sebzor HPP with a capacity of 11 MW will also be completed. These and other projects will increase the country's total energy system capacity by 180 MW in 2025, he said.
In addition, construction of a 200 MW solar power plant will begin in the Sughd region in 2025. In this connection, the government has been instructed to develop and propose a new version of the Energy Sector Development Program and necessary regulatory legal acts, including a law on energy, during the current year.
The Rogun HPP, which is being constructed on the Vakhsh river, will consist of six units each with a capacity of 600 MW, for a total capacity of 3,600 MW. It will become the largest such facility in the region. The total water volume in the reservoir will reach 13.3 cubic kilometers, with an active volume of 10.3 cubic kilometers. According to the plan, the reservoir will be filled with water over 15-17 years.
The first unit of the Rogun HPP was commissioned on November 16, 2018, and the second on September 9, 2019.
The official exchange rate as of January 9 is 10.94 somoni/$1.
