DUSHANBE, April 1, 2014, Asia-Plus -- The Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) has been reintroduced into operation after a three-month standstill, an official source at the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MoEWR) of Tajikistan told Asia-Plus on April 1.

“A 110-megawatt unit of the plant is currently operating and generating electricity,” said the source.  “We cannot yet say anything about introducing the second unit of the plant into operation.”

The first unit of the Sangtuda-1 HPP was introduced into operation on September 5 , 2011.  Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended a joint ceremony to unveil the Sangtuda-2 dam and power plant.

The plant suspended operations in early January this year.  According to some sources, the plant suspended operations due to debt of Tajik power holding Barqi Tojik, while the MoEWR said that the suspension had nothing to do with Barqi Tojik’s debt and it was connected with “maintenance operations.”

Construction of Sangtuda-2, a 220-megawatt plant on the Vakhsh River, officially commenced in February 2006.  It is located some 120 kilometers southeast of Dushanbe.

Iran, which has put some 180 million U.S. dollars into the construction of the hydropower station, will operate it for the next 12 years and then transfer control to Tajikistan, whose contribution to the construction costs amounted to around 40 million U.S. dollars.

The power plant is expected to help alleviate power shortages in Tajikistan during autumn-winter period.