BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. The President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon put into operation the first generating unit of the Nurek Hydropower Plant (HPP), after the rehabilitation, on October 24, Trend reports via press service of the World Bank (WB).
“I am glad that the World Bank is among development partners supporting the rehabilitation of this important facility for Tajikistan’s energy security and economic growth,” the Program Leader for Infrastructure, WB Office in Central Asia Antonio Nunez said.
The rehabilitation of the Nurek HPP, launched in 2019, is implemented in two phases. The first phase, which has focused on rehabilitating three of the nine generating units, replacing and refurbishing hydromechanical equipment and the key infrastructural components of the power plant, is financed by the WB ($225.7 million), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank ($60 million) and the Eurasian Development Bank ($40 million).
"The Nurek HPP, with an installed capacity of over 3,000 megawatts, generates about 50 percent of the total annual energy demand in Tajikistan. Operational at only 77 percent, the facility is currently undergoing its first major rehabilitation since its commissioning in 1972," the WB said.
Notably, the World Bank has prioritized engagement in Tajikistan's energy sector. Its current investments in this sector totaled $641 million.