Azernews.Az

By Abdul Kerimkhanov

The European Union (EU) has awarded a 20 million euros grant to support the construction of the Sebzor hydropower plant (HPP) in Tajikistan.

The seventh meeting of the Tajikistan-EU Cooperation Committee and the second meeting of the Cooperation Sub-Committee were held in Dushanbe on June 6, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade informed.

Zavqi Zavqizoda, First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan, led the Tajik delegation at the event, while Luc Devigne, Director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia and the OSCE at the European External Action Service, headed the EU delegation.

The meeting reaffirmed the joint commitment of the EU and of Tajikistan to strengthen relations in the framework of the EU-Tajikistan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA).

To improve the well-being of vulnerable population by providing them with electricity, the EU awarded a 20 million euros grant to support the Sebzor HPP construction in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), the message says.

An official commencement of the Sebzor HPP construction took place in GBAO on July 29, 2015. The HPP with a capacity of 10 MW is expected to meet the region’s demand in electricity and allow exporting electricity to the neighboring areas of Afghanistan.

The HPP will generate up to 60 million KW/h of electricity per year. The total cost of the project is $36.8 million.

The Sebzor HPP is being constructed within the framework of the program of construction of small hydropower plants at the expense of domestic and foreign investors for the period of 2009-2020.

Most of the electricity in Tajikistan is produced at hydropower plants.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

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