DUSHANBE, September 15, 2010, Asia-Plus -- The Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) will be introduced into operation in September 2011, Said Askari, the head of Iranian company Sangab, which is building the station, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

“Under the contract the station was supposed to be put into operation in February 2012, but the date of introduction of the station into operation has been brought forward,” he said.

Askari stressed that if any rail problems arise in Tajikistan again the date of introduction of the station into operation will be reviewed.  He reminded that because of Uzbekistan’s blockade of rail traffic bound for Tajikistan train cars with crucial construction materials for the station had been held up on Uzbek territory for six months.  “At present building materials for the Sangtuda-2 station arrive in Tajikistan in time,” Askari said.

We will recall Tajikistan and Iran signed a protocol for Iran to construct the 220MW Sangtuda-2 hydropower station on the Vakhsh River in Dushanbe on January 12, 2005.  During President Rahmon’s visit to Iran in January 2006, a number of agreements providing for Iranian assistance for several Tajik infrastructure projects, including construction of the Sangtuda-2 HPP, were signed.  Iran has invested 180 million U.S. dollars out of the total 220 million U.S. dollars assigned for the project.  The Sangtuda-2 HPP was scheduled to become operational by 2012 but Tajik officials wanted it to be inaugurated sooner than schedule.

Once the power station is built, all the revenue over the next 12.5 years will go to the investor and Tajikistan will become the owner of Sangtuda-2 after this period expires.