Heating season has begun in some districts of Dushanbe.

According to the Dushanbe heating system enterprise, the Dushanbe-2 combined heat and power (CHP) plant has begun to supply the heat to buildings in Dushanbe’s Ismoili Somoni district.

“Currently, about 200 facilities in the city are provided with the heat,” an official source at the Dushanbe heating system enterprise told Asia-Plus in an interview.

According to him, the Dushanbe-2 combined heat and power (CHP) will begin supply the heat to facilities in Dushanbe’s Sino district when the plant’s second line is introduced into operation.     

The second line of the Dushanbe-2 CHP plant, consists of two units with a capacity of 300 MW and 270 gigacalories, is expected to be introduced into operation by the end of this year.

The plant’s second line is expected to increase the plant’s capacity to 400 megawatt.

The first 50 MW unit of the first line of the Dusahnbe-2 CHP plant was introduced into operation in January 2014 and the second 50 MW unit of the first line was introduced into operation on September 13, 2014.

On September 13, 2104, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping inserted the time capsule into the foundation stone for construction of the second line of the Dushanbe-2 CHP plant.

A total cost of the project is reportedly 30 million USD and it is being implemented due to a loan provided the Export-Import Bank of China.

This coal-powered plant is being built in the Luchob area of the Tajik capital.  Construction of the coal-powered plant is reportedly in compliance with Tajikistan’s environmental regulations.

Meanwhile, the heat energy prices will rise 16.5 percent in Tajikistan beginning on November 1, 2016.   

Current prices for one gigacalorie are 5.70 somoni for enterprises supplying the heat to the population and 85.80 somoni for residential customers.

Beginning on November 1, the enterprises supplying the heat to the population will pay 6.64 somoni for one gigacalorie and residential customers will pay 99.95 somoni.

Besides, the new prices will be 51.00 somoni for the federally funded institutions and 196.30 somoni for other customers.