DUSAHNBE, July 13, Asia-Plus -- The construction a 500-kW 350-kilometer power-transmission line “South-North” linking Tajikistan’s southern and northern regions is supposed to officially commence on September 15, according to information from the “Barqi Tojik” (Tajik electric systems) open joint-stock holding company.  

The source in the “Barqi Tojik” power holding has told Asia-Plus that high-ranking Tajik and Chinese state officials will attend an official ceremony of the beginning of the construction the power-transmission line.   

We will recall that an agreement on this project was signed in Shanghai on June 14 on the results of meeting of President Rahmonov with his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao.  Rahmonov met with Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of his visit to China [on June 14-15] to attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).  The “Barqi Tojik” power holding and China Theban Electric Apparatus Stock Co. agreed to build the “South-North” power transmission line in Tajikistan. 

The project is worth more than US$281 million.  Of this amount, more than US$267 million will provided by China Exim Bank in a form of long-term loan, and the Tajik government will finance some 10 percent of the project’s value.   The project is supposed to be rewarded in seven years. 

As put into operation the “South-North” power-transmission line will have a capacity of transmitting up to 8 billion kWh of electric power a year.