DUSHANBE, February 18, 2016, Asia-Plus -- Last year, the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) reportedly generated 1.888 billion kWh of electricity, which is 32 percent of its rated capacity and 26.2 million fewer than it was originally planned.

According to Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) Sangtudinskaya GES-1, which operates the Sangtuda-1 HPP, the plant generated electricity in accordance with the regime created by Barqi Tojik (the state-owned utility responsible for generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in Tajikistan).

OJSC Sangtudinskaya GES-1 notes that reduction in electricity generation resulted from non-fulfillment by Barqi Tojik of the plant usage schedule.

In 2015, the Sangtuda-1 HPP reportedly supplied 293.3 million somoni worth of electricity to Barqi Tojik, which is the only buyer of electricity generated by the Sangtuda-1 HPP.  It provides transmission, distribution and sale of the plant electricity

Barqi Tojik now owes 505.8 million somoni to OJSC Sangtudinskaya GES-1.  

The Sangtuda-1 HPP is located on the Vakhsh River in Khatlon province, some 160 kilometers south of Dushanbe. The plant, consisting of four units with total capacity of 670 MW, was officially commissioned 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.