Swiss company asks for more time to complete environmental and social assessment

DUSHANBE, February 7, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Swiss company, Poyry Energy Ltd, which has been granted the contract for carrying out the environmental and social assessment of the Roghun hydroelectricity project, has applied to the Government of Tajikistan, asking to extend the terms to complete the assessment.

The expert group head Robert Zwahlen says the group specialists are behind of schedule and it is necessary to revise the schedule, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports.

Negotiations of representatives of the World Bank with the Government of Tajikistan on this subject are expected to start next year.

The tender for carrying out the environmental and social of the Roghun project took place on December 10, 2010.  Four companies have participated in the tender for carrying out the environmental and social assessment for the Roghun hydroelectricity project: Foster Wheeler/Battler (the United States); Golder Associates Ltd (Japan); Sterling International Group Inc (the United States); and Poyry Energy Ltd (Switzerland).

We will recall that the Government of Tajikistan and the Word Bank have reached an understanding on carrying out assessment studies for the Roghun project.  The aim of the assessment studies is to comprehensively examine the technical, economic, social and environmental viability of the proposed Roghun HPP in accordance with the Bank’s policies and procedures.

Construction works were started around 1980 and were stopped in 1992.  Since then, the Government of Tajikistan has allocated a minimum budget to continue works on a low key and maintenance basis.  Currently most of the site preparation works as well as an estimated 70% of the underground works (access tunnels, penstocks, diversion and outlet tunnels, chambers for turbines / generators and transformers) have been completed.  The installed capacity is proposed to be 6x600 MW (totaling 3,600 MW) and the annual power generation would be 13,300 GWh.  Despite significant storage, Roghun HPP is expected to produce electricity in Tajikistan and develop irrigation in the region.  The majority of the electricity to be produced by Roghun HPP is expected to be exported.

In view of the size of investments needed, Roghun HPP would need significant private/foreign investment and but also requires the Government to play a key role, in view of the existing assets and the necessity to take responsibility for environmental, social, resettlement and riparian issues, and also for establishing the export markets (which are to be underpinned by inter-governmental agreements).  The Government intends to establish an international consortium of investors and financiers for the development of Roghun HPP.