Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 14
By Nigar Guliyeva – Trend:
Russia's Public Joint-Stock Company Federal Hydro-Generating Company - RusHydro plans to modernize the hydroelectric power stations in Uzbekistan, RusHydro reported on Dec.14.
"RusHydro" and "Uzbekhydroenergo" signed a memorandum of cooperation in November . As part of the memorandum, the subsidiary company of "RusHydro" - JSC "Lengidroproject" - will design the Pskem HPP with a capacity of 404 megawatts.
"Also, upon the invitation of the Uzbek side, JSC Lengidroproekt will participate in contests for the development of projects for upgrading the Tashkent cascade (HPP-1), the Chirchik cascade (HPP-10, Phase 3), the Samarkand (HPP-2) cascade, Phase 3) and cascade of Andijan HPPs, "the report reads.
"Lengidroproekt" signed an agreement with JSC "Hydroproject" , a part of "Uzbekhydroenergo", to develop a preliminary feasibility study for the Pskem HPP construction in the Tashkent region. The feasibility study is planned to be completed by mid-2018.
In June, Uzbekistan approved a program for the development of hydropower for 2017-2025, which provides for the construction of 18 and the modernization of 14 HPPs with a total cost of about $4 billion. According to the calculations, its implementation will make it possible to increase the capacity of hydroelectric power stations by 1,7 times to more than 3,000 MW by 2026.
Today there are more than 430 rivers and other waterways in the country with a total length of about 12,700 kilometers. Every year, about 60 billion kWh are generated in Uzbekistan, of which more than 6.5 billion account for hydroelectric power plants. Existing resources, according to forecasts of experts, in the medium term will allow bringing electricity generation at Uzbek hydropower stations to 27.4 billion kWh per year.
During the latest decade, hydropower energy production has been steadily increasing in the country. It is expected to grow mainly by virtue of the development of mini-hydropower plants with a capacity of 420–440 MW and the modernization of existing HPPs.