DUSHANBE, January 2, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- Open joint-stock company (OJSC) Sangtudinskaya GES-1, which operates the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power plant (HPP), has denied report released by an unnamed source at Barqi Tojik power holding (Tajik electricity supplier) that the Sangtuda-1 HPP has allegedly decreased generation of electricity following reduction of water flow in the Vakhsh River as baseless.

According to the Sangtudinskaya GES-1 press center, an average daily generation of electricity by the Sangtuda-1 HPPP in December was more than 6.7 million kWh, while an average daily electricity generation in November was 5.8 million kWh.  These figures show that electricity generation is currently increasing, the press center noted.

The Sangtudinskaya GES-1 CEO Sergey Kobtsev notes that under an agreement of sale between Sangtudinskaya GES-1 and Barqi Tojik, the Tajik side must purchase 2.7 billion kWh of electricity per year.  “Barqi Tojik, however, accepts not more than 1.9 billion kWh of electrical power per year justifying the breach of the contract by saying that more volumes of the Sangtuda-1 electricity are not needed,” he said.

“It is to be noted that to-date, only 40 percent of electricity generated by the Sangtuda-1 HPP over the first eleven months of 2012 has been paid,” stressed the Sangtudinskaya GES-1 CEO.  “The company also draws attention of the public to the fact that the Sangtuda-1 HPP accounts for more than 17.2 percent of electricity generated in Tajikistan in autumn-winter time.  Besides, introduction of the Sangtuda-1 HPP into operation has allowed reducing seasonal electricity deficiencies in Tajikistan by 38 percent.”

Meanwhile the Sangtudinskaya GES-1 press center reports more than 8.3 billion kWh of electricity for a total amount of 706 million somoni have been sold to Tajikistan since January 20, 2008, when the first unit of the Sangtuda-1 HPP was introduced into operation.

We will recall that Tajik and Russian presidents officially unveiled the fourth and last unit of the Sangtuda-1 HPP on July 31, 2009.

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.

Russian-Tajik OJSC Sangtudinskaya GES-1 was established to complete the construction of the Santuda-1 power plant.  Russia’s Inter RAO YeES and the Ministry of Energy and Industries of Tajikistan signed an agreement on the establishment of the company in Dushanbe on February 16, 2005.  

Russia owns 75% percent of the shares minus one share and Tajikistan assumes the 25% ownership interest plus one share in Sangtudinskaya GES-1.