DUSHANBE, January 17, Asia-Plus  -- Introduction of the first of four units of the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power station (HPS) into operation is scheduled for January 20, presidential press service said.  

In the meantime, administration of open joint-stock company (OJSC) Sangtuda HPS-1, which is constructing the station, refrained from giving further details and just noted that Anatoly Chubais, head of Russia’s state-controlled energy entity Unified Energy Systems (RAO YeES, which is funding the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectricity project, would arrive in Tajikistan on January 19 for attending the launch ceremony.   

“We are currently coordinating the schedule of program of the visit of Chubais to Tajikistan,” the source at the OJSC Sangtuda HPS-1 said.   

The first unit of the Sangtuda-1 plant will have a planned capacity of 220 million kWh, and once all four units are completed, the station will have an annual projected capacity of 2.7 billion kWh of electricity.          

Russia’s Unified Energy Systems has spent approximately $500 million to build Sangtuda-1, and the Russian entity retains a 75 percent share in the power plant, which will generate a projected 2.7 billion kWh of electricity per annum.  The power station will have an estimated capacity of 670 MW.