DUSHANBE, November 9, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- The blocking of the Vakhsh River to further the construction of the Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) is scheduled for late November, according to the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI).

The source at a MoEI says the exact date will become known a week before the blocking.  He added that preparatory work was under way at the dam site and waterway tunnels.

We will recall that Minister of Energy and Industries Gul Sherali told reporters on October 22 that the construction work will not affect electricity supply in the country.  According to him, the river course will change and water will run along two waterway tunnels.

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.