Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Dec. 21
By Demir Azizov - Trend:
Uzbekenergo State Joint Stock Company has fully completed the construction of a 500 kV high-voltage transmission line 'Talimarjan thermal power plant - Sogdiana substation' worth $166.76 million, an Uzbekenergo representative told Trend on Thursday.
It should be stressed that the network worth about $ 120 million has been constructed this summer. The construction of the network infrastructure was to be completed by the end of August. The transmission line was to be put into commercial operation in September.
"The transmission line with open switchgear at the Talimarjan TPP has been fully constructed," the source said. "The transmission line will be commissioned by late 2013."
The 500 kV high-voltage transmission line will stretch 218 kilometers.
The project was financed through a $110 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and Uzbekenergo's own funds.
The construction of the transmission line is part of the Talimarjan TPP modernization project worth $1.28 billion.
Uzbekistan started implementing the project on expanding the Talimarjan TPP worth $1.28 billion in 2011. It planned to build two steam-gas plants of a combined cycle of 450 megawatts each by 2017.
The first energy block of the 800 MW Talimarjan TPP was commissioned in 2004. The station generates 4.6 billion kWh of electricity per year with specific fuel consumption of 314 g / kWh.
With the commissioning of two combined gas cycle plants, power generation at thermal power plants will increase from 4.6 billion kWh to 10.4 billion kWh and the coefficient of performance (COP) rate of the station will increase from the current 38 percent to 58 percent. The fuel consumption will decrease to 263 g / kWh.
The modernization of Talimarjan TPP will improve the energy supply of the republic's southern regions, as well as will increase the country's energy export potential.
The general contractor of the "turnkey" combined gas cycle plant is a consortium of Korean Daewoo International Corp. and Hyundai Engineering & Construction.
The project which is planned to be completed in 2014 is being financed with loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the amount of $350 million, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) - $300 million, the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan - $250 million and equity funds of Uzbekenergo.
Currently, the estimated capacity of power plants in Uzbekistan is 12,400 MW. The major part of the country's electricity - 90 percent - is produced by 10 thermal power plants of Uzbekenergo with total estimated capacity of 10,600 MW.
Uzbekistan increased electricity generation by 0.2 percent (to 52.534 billion kWh) in 2012 compared to 2011.
Translated by N.H., L.Z.
Edited by C.N.