DUSHANBE, February 9, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Open joint-stock company (OJSC) Sangtuda HPP-1, which has constructed the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power plant (HPP), has filed suit in Tajikistan’s Higher Economic Court against Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding over electricity debt, a statement released by Sangtuda HPP-1 today said.

Barqi Tojik now owes 16 million somoni to OJSC Sangtuda HPP-1 for electricity received from the Sangtuda-1 station in 2008, the statement said.

The source at Sangtuda HPP-1 said that they had filed suit following numerous vain applications to Tajik authorities over repayment of power debts.

The statement, in particular, notes that delays in payment of power debts may hinder completion of construction of the Sangtuda-1 station that is scheduled to be commissioned on turnkey basis in late March this year.

We will recall that three of four units of the Sangtuda-1 station were put into introduction last year.  Introduction of the fourth unit into operation is scheduled for February 25, 2009.  However, the Sangtuda-1 plant will be completely finished in March 2009.  Under government-to-government agreement between Tajikistan and Russia the delivery of the station, including all necessary infrastructure and social facilities, to the customer is scheduled for late March 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.

Russia retains a 75 percent share in the power plant, which will generate a projected 2.7 billion kWh of electricity per annum.  The power station will have an estimated capacity of 670 MW.