The World Bank will continue cooperation on the Rogun Dam project
Anna Bjerde, Director of Operations at the World Bank (WB), said that her organization will continue to finance the construction of the Rogun hydroelectric power station in Tajikistan, considering this project important for the whole of Central Asia.
“The Rogun hydroelectric power plant is an important project in the green energy production sector, which is of great importance not only for the people of Tajikistan, but also for the entire region. We hope that our cooperation will enter a new phase and lay the foundation for strengthening the sustainable development of the country,” Bjerde stressed.
She added that the World Bank is among the nine partners supporting the construction of this large Dam.
As part of its visit to Tajikistan, the World Bank delegation visited the facility, accompanied by Prime Minister of the Republic Kohir Rasulzoda. The foreign guests got acquainted with the main stages of construction, having examined the underground sections, transport tunnels and the turbine system. Representatives of the World Bank highly appreciated the pace of implementation of the project. Bjerde stressed that the Rogun Dam is a symbol of national will, sustainability of development processes and an example of successful cooperation between international organizations and the authorities of Tajikistan.
“We are encouraged by this progress and are ready to continue cooperation in this direction,” the World Bank top manager summed up.
According to Tajik media, the World Bank delegation held a meeting with the country’s President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe. It was noted that the international financial institution has been cooperating with the republic for more than 30 years, the portfolio of World Bank projects in Tajikistan today is $3.3 billion.
Bjerde stressed that the most important areas of the partnership are poverty reduction and improving the living conditions of the population in towns and villages. In addition, with the participation of the bank, projects are being implemented in the sectors of infrastructure, agriculture, water supply and sanitation.
Meanwhile, with the Rogun Dam project, not everything is so clear. The ecological coalition “Rivers without Borders” warned that in its current form the project poses a colossal threat to the environment, therefore the World Bank cannot ignore its own standards and is obliged to ensure a comprehensive and objective risk assessment before continuing financial injections into construction. Recently it became known that the World Bank has received complaints from residents of neighboring republics — Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, who believe that construction may adversely affect the ecology of the lower reaches of the Amu Darya. This issue will be studied by a group of experts.
Rogun Dam is Tajikistan’s largest energy project. Completion of all stages of the construction of the hydroelectric power station is planned by the end of 2031. Currently, two units with a capacity of 600 MW each are operating at the facility, the third is planned to be launched this year. It is expected that after the completion of the project, the Rogun Dam will become the largest hydroelectric power station in Central Asia with an installed capacity of 3,600 MW and annual electricity generation of 13 to 17 billion kWh.
Ferghana News Agency
