DUSHANBE, January 12, Asia-Plus  -- The first of four units of the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power station (HPS) is expected to be introduced into non-load operation on January 13, Asia-Plus has learned from Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding.

The source at Barqi Tojik said that during two days the unit would run with no load.

In the meantime, administration of the open joint-stock company Sangtuda HPS-1, which is constructing the station, said that it cannot be ruled out that the launch may be postponed at any time.  In a favorable contingency, the unit will be launched into operation on January 18.

The source at the OJSC Sangtuda HPS-1 also noted that Andrey Rappoport, member of the board of Russia’s Unified Energy Systems (RAO YeES), who had been on a short visit to Tajikistan had already returned to Moscow.  “However, he is scheduled to come back to Tajikistan at the beginning of the next week,” the source said.   

The first unit of the Sangtuda-1 plant will have a planned capacity of 220 million kWh, and once all four units are completed, the station will have an annual projected capacity of 2.7 billion kWh of electricity.          

Russia’s state-controlled energy entity Unified Energy Systems (RAO YeES) intends to launch the first unit into operation on January 18, 2008.

Anatoly Chubais, head of Russia’s state-controlled energy entity YeES, last month said   in an interview with Russia’s news agency Itar-Tass that he had approved the schedule of launch of the first unit – January 18, 2008.  “I am sure we will launch it,” Chubais said, reminding that the first unit should have been launched in March 2008 but the Tajik government requested to speed up the launch of the first unit.  

Russia’s Unified Energy Systems has spent approximately $500 million to build Sangtuda-1, and the Russian entity retains a 75 percent share in the power plant, which will generate a projected 2.7 billion kWh of electricity per annum.  The power station will have an estimated capacity of 670 MW – enough to meet Tajikistan’s domestic needs and allow for the export of electricity, namely to Afghanistan.