Dushanbe. June 21. “Asia-Plus” -- Ukrainian Elektrotyazhmash plant has launched the design of equipment for Tajikistan’s Rogun hydropower plant.

Under the contract worth over $40mln, which was signed in March this year, Elektrotyazhmash will design, produce and deliver to Rogun HPP two 400 megawatt hydroelectric generators, the plant’s press service reported.

According to the plant, the first unit will be delivered by the end of 2011, while the second generator will be delivered by the end of 2012.

“Rogun HPP will have a total of six 600 megawatt blocks. According to the project, first two 400-megawatt blocks have provisional character and the construction of the dam will continue with the launch of these two units. As soon as the following four 600-megawatt blocks are ready, production capacity of the first two will be increased up to the required level through modernization of hydroelectric generators and turbines so as the total productive capacity of the station will reach 3.600 megawatt,” press service of the plant has said.

Vitaliy Cherednik, Director of Elektrotyazhmash plant, said that the project of construction of Rogun HPP is the biggest energy project in the post-Soviet space.

He said that “this is one of the most ambitious energy projects and we are planning to fulfill this order and become reliable partner of Tajikistan in terms of construction of all energy blocks of Rogun HPP.”

Cherednik called entrance to Tajikistan’s hydroelectric energy market a priority task, taking into account the fact that this republic ranks first in the world by its potential hydroenergy resources by one square kilometer of its territory.

According to the Tajik Ministry of Energy and Industry, Tajikistan’s annual potential hydropower resources make 527bln kWt/hour, while today only 5% of these resources are being used.