Uzbekistan does not prevent the transit of equipment to Tajikistan for Rogun HPP

Almaty. January 27. Silkroadnews - Uzbekistan does not prevent the transit of equipment for the construction of the Rogun hydropower station in Tajikistan, Tajik news agency (TajikTA) informs.  
“Uzbekistan does not put any obstacles on the way of the transit of equipment to construct the Rogun hydropower station in Tajikistan through its territory. All the goods for the construction of hydropower plant are delivered on time, there are no problems with Uzbekistan (for the transit of equipment - TajikTA),”- said the first deputy chairman of the state unitary enterprise “Tajik Railways” Bahram Shodiyev.
“Sometimes delays occur due to technical or commercial reasons, for example, when the documents are not properly filled in. Yet we take actions immediately and are working in cooperation with both countries’ customs authorities. There are no obstacles from Uzbekistan’s side,” he stressed.
It is known, at the meeting of representatives of the governments of Central Asian countries held in Almaty on July 14-18, 2014, Uzbekistan opposed the project of the Rogun hydroelectric power station within the course of discussion on the World Bank draft report of the plan of construction of hydroelectric power stations, as well as aspects of transboundary water resources use.
Last July a statement on the Rogun hydroelectric power station built in Tajikistan to come into operation within the nearest 3 years was done by the Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan Usmonali Usmonzoda, during a press conference in Dushanbe.
“Government plans to put into operation the first stage of the Rogun HPP in Tajikistan within the next few years. Work on the damming of the Vakhsh River to start the construction of the dam and the first phase of the Rogun hydropower plant should be completed in three years,”-  he said.
The minister also added the first phase will be put into operation with two units of 400 MW capacity each, i.e. with a total capacity of 800 megawatts.
“As soon as the first stage of construction of Rogun is completed, the problem of power shortage in the country shall be solved”, said the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Tajikistan, adding that the results of the Rogun project evaluation by the international experts did not meet any official complaints from Uzbekistan.
Being under construction now the Rogun hydroelectric power plant in Tajikistan is located 110 kilometers from Dushanbe. The project provides for the construction of hydroelectric dam which will be the highest in the world - 335 meters. The design capacity of the station will make about 3600 MW.
Rogun hydroelectric power plant was designed by the Tashkent institute “Sredazgidroproyekt” in Soviet times.  
The construction work on the station have been activated after the evaluation by the World Bank. According to the international organization, the implementation of the Rogun project will require for about $3-$5 billion.
In early 2015 the chairman of the State Committee for Investments of the Republic of Tajikistan Kodiri Qosim said that the Tajik government is planning to launch two turbines of the Rogun HPP in 2018. He explained that the construction of hydroelectric power station will require about $600 million, among them the first turbines launch shall cost about $2 billion, which the Tajik government intends to get in the form of investments.