DUSHANBE, August 23, 2011, Asia-Plus -- On Tuesday August 23, Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov visited the site for construction of the Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power plant (HPP).

According to the Prime Minister Secretariat, the main purpose of the visit was fro the prime minister to inspect the construction work.  During the trip, Oqilov got acquainted with living and working conditions of builders.

The first unit of the Sangtuda-2 HPP is expected to be introduced into operation on September 4 this year.  President Emomali Rahmon and his Iranian counterpart, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, will attend the ceremony of introduction of the unit into operation.

We will recall that Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namjou on November 28, 2010 pressed buttons that detonated explosives, blocking the Vakhsh River for construction of the dam.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Emomali Rahmon promised at the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Istanbul in December 2010 that the first turbine at Sangtuda-2 will begin producing electricity in 2011.

Construction of Sangtuda-2, a 220-megawatt plant on the Vakhsh River, officially commenced in February 2006.  It is located some 120 kilometers southeast of Dushanbe.  Iran has invested US$180 million and Tajikistan US$40 million in the project.  Once the power station is built, all the revenue over the next 12.5 years will go to the investor and Tajikistan will become the owner of Sangtuda-2 after this period expires.