Gruner Stucky Ltd, a Swiss consulting firm, will develop the feasibility study for the construction of the Chartеm hydroelectric power station (HPP), which is planned to be built on the Ghund River near the village of the same name in Shugnan district of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), says the press center of the Ministry Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan (MoEWR).
The agreement on this subject was signed between Gruner Stucky and the international company Pamir Energy, which manages the energy system in GBAO, in Dushanbe on September 27, 2024.
Preliminary estimates suggest that the projected capacity of the Chartem hydropower plant will be 14 megawatts (MW).
The village of Chartem, where the power plant will be constructed, is located 75 kilometers east of GBAO’s capital, Khorog.
A MoEWR notes that from a geographical perspective, the construction of the Chartem hydropower plant has strategic significance for connecting Pamir Energy's main electrical networks with those of the Murgab district, which is located in the eastern part of GBAO.
It is worth noting that another HPP, Sebzor, with a design capacity of 11 MW, is currently under construction on the Shokhdara River in GBAO’s Roshtqala district.
Additionally, the Sanobod HPP is planned to be built on the Panj River in GBAO’s Rushan district, with a projected capacity of 200 MW—four times the combined capacity of all currently operating power plants in GBAO.
According to the MoEWR, currently, there are eleven small and mini hydropower plants with a total capacity of 45 operating across GBAO.
The management of the autonomous energy system in GBAO, which operates independently from Tajikistan's national power grid, will be handled by Pamir Energy under a concession agreement with the Government of Tajikistan until the end of 2027.
Founded in 1926, Gruner Stucky Ltd is a leading engineering and design company specialized in the dam and hydropower engineering and energy sectors. To date, Gruner Stucky’s engineers and specialists have successfully completed well over 100 major schemes for the construction, extension and rehabilitation of dams and hydropower plants in Switzerland and abroad. Its hydraulic and environmental engineering experts also design state-of-the-art water supply systems, river renaturalization schemes and flood control infrastructure and measures. The approximately 1,100 highly qualified employees at over 30 locations in Switzerland and internationally are reportedly always close to customers and projects.