DUSHANBE, May 13, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The last fourth unit of the Russian-built Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) is expected to be introduced into operation on May 15, according to administration of open joint-stock company (OJSC) Sangtudinskaya GES-1, which has built the station.

We will recall that the first unit of the Sangtuda-1 station was introduced into operation on January 20, 2008.  During 2008, the second and the third units of the plant were also introduced into operation on July 1 and November 6 respectively.

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.