A joint Tajik-Uzbek working group is engaged in determining the site for the construction of two hydroelectric power plants (HPP) on the Zarafshan River, the joint construction of which was agreed by the presidents of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan Emomali Rahmon and Shavkat Mirziyoyev last year.
“After the decision was made by the heads of the two states, a joint working group was created that is working on this issue,” said Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources of the Republic of Tajikistan Jamshed Shoimzoda at a press conference on January 28.
According to him, at the moment technical issues are being considered, in particular, the place of construction of the stations and the method by which they will be built are being determined.
After resolving technical issues, the deputy minister stressed, financial and economic issues will be considered, and then design work will begin.
“A meeting of the joint working group is scheduled for the first half of this year.
According to the instructions of the heads of the two states, two hydroelectric power stations with a total capacity of 320 MW” should be built, he said.
Shoimzoda noted that there is a scheme for the complex construction of a hydroelectric power station on the Zarafshan River, which was developed in the distant 70s.
“According to the old scheme, it was planned to build eleven hydroelectric power plants there. Now, of course, it is being revised,” he added.
Recall that the decision to jointly build a hydroelectric power station on the Zarafshan River was made by the presidents of the two countries in August last year during Emomali Rahmon’s state visit to Tashkent.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev then at the final press conference noted that the Tajik side “has ready-made projects that have passed the feasibility study of international standards of large banks.”
“I think this will be a very serious issue in our regional cooperation – a project of hydraulic engineering. A little time will pass, and we will build together, we will jointly remove problems. There are questions – they are being resolved,” the Uzbek president assured.