BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 29
By Ilkin Seyfaddini – Trend:
Working groups of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan discussed the joint construction of a hydroelectric power plant on Zarafshan River in Tajikistan, Trend reports via Uzbekistan's Ministry of Energy.
Negotiations were held in Tashkent on 28 January 2020.
For this purpose, a representative delegation of Tajikistan, headed by Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources Jamshed Shoimzoda, arrived in the country.
During the meeting with First Deputy Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov, the subject of discussion was the draft agreement between the Government of Uzbekistan and the Government of Tajikistan on the procedure and conditions for shared participation in the construction and operation of hydroelectric plant on the Zarafshan River.
The construction of hydropower plants is planned to be carried out in stages: at the first stage, the construction of the Yavan hydroelectric station with an estimated cost of $282 million, a capacity of 140 MW and the generation of 700-800 million kWh of electricity.
At the next stage, the parties will consider the possibility of building a hydroelectric station on the Fandarya River with an estimated cost of $270 million, a capacity of 135 MW and the generation of 500-600 million kWh of electricity.
The constructed hydroelectric power stations will generate up to 1,400 million kWh of ecological clean electricity exclusively for the needs of Uzbekistan.
The Tajik delegation pointed out that the meeting is the first step towards the implementation of the project and expresses the will of the leaders of the two states.
The delegation also noted the speed of ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan in the field of energy.
Work on the joint construction of two hydroelectric power stations with a total capacity of 320 MW on the Zarafshan River in Tajikistan was envisaged in the Joint Statement of Uzbekistan's President and Tajikistan's President signed on 17 August 2018.