Saudi Arabia issues $100 mln loan for building Rogun HPP in Tajikistan

DUSHANBE. Nov 2 (Interfax) - The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has issued a concessional loan of $100 million for the construction of the Rogun Hydropower Plant in Tajikistan, Saudi Ambassador to Tajikistan Walid Abdulrahman al-Reshaidan said at a press conference in Dushanbe.

"The allocation of the funding indicates the Saudi Arabian government's special attention to supporting Tajikistan in implementing forward-looking projects of the country's strategic development," he said.

The Tajik national news agency Khovar said the sum provided for the construction of the Rogun HPP amounts to 50% of the entire funding provided by the SFD since the start of its activity in Tajikistan in 2002.

The Rogun HPP, whose designed capacity should reach 3.6 GW, is being constructed 110 kilometers away from the capital Dushanbe to be the ninth in the cascade of hydropower plants on the Vakhsh River. The HPP should comprise six 600 MW units making it the largest in the area.

The SFD was set up as a state agency providing support and financing for projects in developing countries through concessional loans.