DUSHANBE, June 30, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- The second unit of the Russian-built Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) began generating electrical power today early in the morning.  According to Rakhmetulla Alzhanov, the director general of open joint-stock company Sangtuda HPP-1, which is building the station, the second unit began generating electricity today, at 1:50 a.m..   

In the meantime, an official ceremony of putting the second units of the Russian-built Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) into commission will be held tomorrow, July 1.  The ceremony, presided over by President Emomali Rahmon, is expected to be attended by Sergey Naryshkin, the head of Russian president’s office.   

The first unit of the Sangtuda-1 station was put into commission on January 20 this year.  The Sangtuda-1 plant was hailed as a first step in alleviating Tajikistan''s energy crisis.  The first unit of the Sangtuda-1 plant has a planned capacity of 220 million kWh, and once all four units of the plant are operational, the station will have an annual projected capacity of 2.7 billion kWh of electricity.

Russia’s Unified Energy Systems (RAO YeES) 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.