DUSHANBE, December 31, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- The hydroelectric power plant (HPP) Sangtuda-1 that has been built with support of Russia will be completely finished in March 2009, according to open joint-stock company Sangtuda HPP-1, which has been constructing the station.  

The first three of four units of the station that have already been introduced intro operation now work stably, the source said.  Introduction of the fourth unit into operation is scheduled for February 25, 2009.  Under government-to-government agreement between Tajikistan and Russia the delivery of the station, including all necessary infrastructure and social facilities, to the customer is scheduled for late March 2009.

However, the company has expressed concern over more than $7.2 million in arrears that Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding owes to it for electricity consumed over the past several months.  The source at Sangtuda HPP-1 noted that in 2008, the Sangtuda-1 station sold electricity to Barqi Tojik at the rate of 1.15 cents per one kWh.  Beginning on January 1 2009, the electricity rate will be raised to 3.1 cents, according to him. 

The construction of the Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant located some 110 kilometers southeast of Dushanbe began in the late 1980s.  By the early 1990s, only 20% of the construction work had been completed, and further construction was suspended due to a civil war that broke out in Tajikistan in the early 1990s.  The talks between Russia and Tajikistan on completing the construction of the Sangtuda-1 HPP began in 2003 and in 2004 the parties signed an inter-governmental agreement.

Russia 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.