DUSHANBE, January 28, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Work on
reinstallation of Unit 2 at the Pamir-1 hydroelectric power plant
(HPP) has been completed and the station now operates in full
capacity, the source at the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI)
said.
“All four units of the station with a total capacity of 28 megawatt
now operate that allows providing regular electricity supply to some
districts of Gorno Badakhshan,” he noted.
We will recall that sudden water flooding occurred at the Pamir-1 HPP
on February 5, 2007 and following an accident, all four units were
entirely engulfed by flood water resulting in extensive damage of the
plant and equipment. The damage caused by a severe ‘hydraulic shock’
destroyed unit 2 completely, while units 1, 3 and 4 suffered minimal
damage.
At the initiative of a MoEI and under financial support of the Aga
Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) an agreement has been
concluded with BHEL, India’s largest producer of power generating
equipment including turbines, for equipment for the Pamir-1 HPP, the
source said.
The Pamir-1 HPP is operated by PamirEnergy, which is a joint project
of the Government of Tajikistan, the AKFED, the World Bank’s private
finance division, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). A total cost of
the project is some 26.5 million U.S. dollars, including the Tajik
government’s contribution of 10 million U.S. dollars.
The company has a 25 year concession on the assets formerly under the
management on Barqi Tojik (Tajik electricity supplier) in Gorno
Badakhshan. In exchange for this concession (management right),
PamirEnergy has invested in completing the Pamir hydropower station,
rehabilitating power generation, transmission and distribution assets,
and improving the management of the company.