DUSHANBE, February 17, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan has asked the European bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to speed up the process of approval of feasibility study for reconstruction and modernization of the Qairoqqum hydroelectric power plant (HPP) in the northern Sughd province.

This issue was reportedly discussed recently at a meeting of Davlatali Saidov, Chairman of the State Committee for Investment and State-owned Property Management (GosKomInvest), with Ulf Hindstrum, Head of the EBRD Resident Office in Dushanbe.

The GosKomInvest press center notes the project for reconstruction and modernization of the Qairoqqum HPP is one of priorities of the national energy sector development program designed for 2010-2015.

An estimated budget for implementation of the project is some 130 million U.S. dollars and currently offers from several companies for implementation of the project are being discussed.  The project includes replacement of all the units of the plant.   

It is expected that after modernization the power plant’s generating capacity will increase by 24 MW to 150 MW.

The Qairoqqum hydropower plant was commissioned on the Syr Darya River in 1957.