Tajikistan plans to commission unit 3 of Rogun HPP in Sept 2027, three more by 2031 - Energy Ministry

DUSHANBE. Nov 12 (Interfax) - Tajikistan plans to commission the third unit of the Rogun hydropower plant (HPP) in September 2027 and the remaining units by 2031, Tajik Energy and Water Resources Minister Daler Juma said.

"Currently, construction work at the plant is almost 70% complete," Juma was quoted as saying by the Energy Ministry's press center at a meeting of the lower house of the Tajik parliament on Thursday.

The design capacity of the Rogun HPP is 3,780 MW. The implementation of the project is of strategic importance for achieving energy independence and ensuring the sustainable development of the country's economy, Juma said.

It is noted that 37 state investment projects worth a total of 30 billion somoni have been implemented in Tajikistan's energy sector in total over the years of independence. Another 20 projects worth 23 billion somoni are currently being implemented. Thanks to the commissioning of more than 2,300 MW of new generating capacity, the installed capacity of the country's energy system has exceeded 6,700 MW. Electricity generation has increased from 17.4 billion kWh in 1991 to 24 billion kWh in 2025.

Tajikistan continues to modernize its existing hydropower plants. As a result of the reconstruction of three units at the Nurek HPP, its capacity increased by 120 MW. After all work is completed in 2031, the plant's capacity will be brought to 3,375 MW. The capacities of the Kayrakkum, Sarband and Varzob HPP-1 have also been increased.

Tajikistan also intends to accelerate the development of renewable energy. Two solar power plants with a total capacity of 500 MW are under construction in the Asht and Jayhun districts. The construction of additional photovoltaic capacity of 1,000 MW will be achieved by the end of 2027.

As part of the development of regional energy infrastructure, the CASA-1000 project continues to be implemented, along with the construction of the South-North power transmission line and work to connect the northern part of the country's energy system to the unified energy system of Central Asia.

Electricity losses in Tajikistan's energy system amounted to 12.5% in 9M 2026, down 2.7 percentage points compared to the same period of 2025, Juma said.

Among other priorities of the sector, Juma named improving the electricity metering system, installing smart meters, modernizing networks, drafting an Energy Code and ensuring the domestic market is supplied with fuel products.

As reported, the Rogun HPP is located on the Vakhsh river and is a key link in the Vakhsh cascade of hydropower plants. The active phase of construction has been under way since the 2000s. The plant will consist of six units with a capacity of 600 MW each. The HPP's 335-meter-high dam will become the world's tallest rockfill dam. Two units currently operate at the hydropower plant, the first of which was launched on September 9, 2018, and the second in 2019. The project is being implemented with co-financing from a consortium of 12 international development partners led by World Bank Group.

CASA-1000 (Central Asia - South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project) is a regional project providing for the export of surplus electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan via a high-voltage power transmission line with a total length of more than 1,200 km. The project is designed for the transmission of up to 1,300 MW of electricity in the summer period, when the countries of Central Asia have a surplus of hydropower resources.

In Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, the construction of energy infrastructure facilities as part of CASA-1000 is mainly complete. After the resumption of work on the Afghan section in 2024, the implementation of the project entered its final stage. The commissioning of the line into commercial operation is expected after construction of infrastructure on Afghan territory is completed and the entire system is comprehensively tested. Construction work on infrastructure on the Afghan section should be completed by spring 2027, the Tajik Energy Ministry said.

The official exchange rate on November 12 is 9.2027 somoni/$1.