DUSHANBE (Asia-Plus) – Tajikistan plans to construct as many as 53 new small hydropower plants by the end of this year. In 2012, some 50 small hydroelectric complexes were commissioned in the country last year.

According to the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, as of early 2013, the number of small power plants in Tajikistan was 181 with a total capacity of over 15 MW. Half of these plants are located in districts of republican subordination (90 units with a total capacity of 6 MW). Another 58 units with a 5.3 MW capacity are located in Sughd province, 20 units with over a 3.2 MW capacity in Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous province and 13 with a 686.4 kW capacity in Khatlon province.

Of the total number of small hydroelectric complexes, only 118 units with more than 10.6 MW capacity are operating. The remaining 63 units with about a 4.5 MW capacity don’t work. In particular, 55 small hydropower plants are out of commission in Sughd province, 45 in districts of republican subordination, 12 in Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous province and six in Khatlon province.

According to Abduvali Komilov, head of the Agency for Construction and Architecture under the Government of Tajikistan, some small hydropower plants are constructed in places with no water supply during the winter periods. He said:

Some of them were built in places with water supply only in summer when electricity in the country is abundant anyway. During the winter period when there is a shortage of electricity, these stations are not working due to lack of water supply. This, of course is a miscalculation of our experts and we will try to correct these mistakes. We have already started introducing corrections to projects of such stations, particularly in the Rasht and Shahrinav districts of republican subordination,

In the meantime, the Indian state-run BHEL announced to have completed the renovation, modernisation and uprating (RMU) of the 2×4.75 MW Varjob hydro power plant of Barki Tojik in Tajikistan. The project is funded by the Indian government.