The Sebzor Dam has been officially commissioned in Tajikistan
In the Roshtkalinsky district of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan, President Emomali Rahmon officially launched the Sebzor hydroelectric power station. The new power facility with a capacity of 11 megawatts is designed to dramatically improve the power supply of a remote mountainous region. The commissioning of the Dam increases electricity generation in Badakhshan by 25%, which will provide stable access to electricity for about 220 thousand residents, the press service of the head of state reports.
The Sebzor project is positioned as a key element of the state “Green Economy Development Strategy” for 2023-2037. Three units of the station are capable of generating more than 77.6 million kWh of electricity per year, which is presented as the country’s contribution to the fight against climate change through the production of “green energy”. The construction, which began in 2015, was carried out with the involvement of the private sector and foreign investment.
Despite the obvious advantages, the transition to hydropower carries hidden challenges. Although small Dams like Sebzor, with its relatively low dam (8.5 meters), are considered less destructive to the environment than giant hydroelectric power plants, their construction still interferes with river ecosystems. The impact on fish migration and changes in the flow regime of rivers remain issues that require careful environmental monitoring, often beyond the scope of official press releases.
The key paradox lies in the vulnerability of hydropower itself to climate change, which it is designed to combat. Tajikistan’s energy security critically depends on the water resources formed by the Pamir glaciers. However, these glaciers are rapidly melting. The long-term profitability and stability of the Dam is directly related to the fullness of rivers, which in the context of global warming becomes a serious strategic risk for the entire “green” economy of the country.
Alexander Eskendirov (Rivers.Help!)
Original (in Russian): В Таджикистане официально введена в строй Себзорская ГЭС
