Tajikistan starts Nurek HPP rehabilitation

By Azernews

By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Possessing more than half of the region’s water resources, Tajikistan’s water policy is aimed at its rational and careful use based on the principles of cooperation and mutual benefit.

During his working visit to the city of Tajik power engineers, the President of Tajikistan will launch the rehabilitation project of the Nurek hydropower plant (HPP) on March 20.

It is expected that the head of state will meet with representatives of the company, which will deal with the rehabilitation of hydroelectric power plants, a source in the government of Tajikistan said.

The international tender for the rehabilitation of the Nurek HPP (first phase) was announced at the end of August 2017.

The “Barki Tochik” energy holding chose from the three bidders the ANDRITZ group of companies whose head office is in Austria.

At the end of 2017, for the implementation of the project “Rehabilitation of the Nurek HPP, phase 1” the entire required amount of $ 350 million was collected.

For the implementation of the project, the International Development Association (IDA) will allocate $ 225 million, of which $ 57 million as a grant, the rest - as a soft loan.

The Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD) allocated $ 40 million for the project implementation as a loan. Another $ 60 million in loan will be allocated by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

The share of the Tajik Government in this project will be $ 25 million

The project of the first phase for the Nurek HPP rehabilitation will be implemented within five years.

The Nurek HPP rehabilitation project, divided into two phases, provides for the replacement of all 9 hydraulic units and key components of the station infrastructure, autotransformers, reconstruction of auxiliary transformers, improvement of dam operation safety, and provision of technical assistance.

To implement the second phase of the project, it is necessary to spend approximately $ 350 million.

After full rehabilitation of the Nurek HPP, the generation of electricity at the facility will reach 3,300 MW.

The Nurek HPP is the largest hydroelectric power plant in Central Asia, and the Nurek hydrostatic dam, 300 meters high, is the second largest in the world.

HPP provides more than 70 percent of the total electricity generated in the country and is included in the Vakhsh HPP cascade. The design installed capacity of the plant is 3,000 MW. Currently, it can potentially generate only 77 percent of its design capacity due to equipment obsolescence and lack of necessary maintenance, and therefore the maximum capacity of the Nurek HPP in recent years has not exceeded 2,320 MW.