DUSHANBE, February 15, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- Fourteen new small power plants are currently being constructed in Tajikistan, according to the Ministry Energy and Industries (MoEI).

282 small hydropower plants with a total capacity of 25,200 kW have been built in Tajikistan over the years of independence, a source at a MoEI said.

According to him, 17 small hydropower plants with a total capacity of nearly 1,900 kW were built in the country last year.  In all, 14.7 million somoni (equivalent to some 3.08 million USD) were spent for construction of those 17 small hydropower plants.

Meanwhile, the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan notes that there were 181 small hydropower plants with a total capacity of more than 15,000 kW in the country as of January 1, 2013.

90 small hydropower plants with a total capacity of some 6,000 kW are reportedly located in districts subordinate to the center, 58 plants with a total capacity of 5,300 kW are located in Sughd province, 20 plants with a total capacity of more than 3,200 kW are located in Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), and 13 plants with a total capacity of 686.4 kW are located in Khatlon province.

Of those 181 small hydropower plants, only 118 with a total capacity of more than 10,600 kW are operational, while the remaining 63 with a total capacity of some 4,500 kW are not in operation, the Agency for Statistics said.