DUSHANBE, April 21, 2014, Asia-Plus -- The Pamir Energy Company (PamirEnergy) has begun connecting small power plants located in remote areas of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) to central hydropower complex of the region.

According to PamirEnergy, hydropower plant Namadgut, which is located in the Ishkashim district, has recently been connected to the region’s central hydropower complex.  This has allowed considerably reducing technical and commercial losses of electricity and transferring power surpluses from power plants such as Pamir-1 and Khorog to customers in other districts of the region.

Representatives of the company say that synchronization that was held in the Ishkashim district is the first of its kind experience taken by PamirEnergy.

Equipment for this complex process has reportedly been provided by China’s HYDRO TU.  Specialists from Pamir Energy and engineers from HYDRO TU have assembled the equipment within three weeks.

PamirEnergy plans to connect the small power plant Shujand, which is located in the Rushan district, to the central hydropower complex in the near future that will allow improving the supply of electricity to residential customers in the Bartang Valley.

PamirEnergy is a joint project of the Government of Tajikistan, the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), the World Bank’s private finance division, International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).  A total cost of the project is some 26.5 million U.S. dollars, including the Tajik government’s contribution of 10 million U.S. dollars.

The company has a 25 year concession on the assets formerly under the management on Barqi Tojik (Tajik electricity supplier) in Gorno Badakhshan.  In exchange for this concession (management right), PamirEnergy has invested in completing the Pamir hydropower station, rehabilitating power generation, transmission and distribution assets, and improving the management of the company.