Tajikistan Completes Upgrade of Seventh Nurek Hydropower Unit

President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon has launched the seventh hydroelectric unit of the Nurek hydropower plant following the completion of its repair. The unit reached operational capacity during a regional visit to the Khatlon province, marking a milestone in the comprehensive modernization program for the country’s largest power generation facility.

The equipment repair lasted less than six months – site work began in October 2024. Austrian engineering company ANDRITZ Hydropower acted as the technological partner for the project, working alongside Tajik contractor TojikSGEM. The replacement of mechanical components and the installation of modern automated systems have increased the daily production capacity of the hydroelectric unit to eight million kilowatt-hours of electricity.

Financing the modernization of this generation unit required a 34 million euro credit line, supplemented by 9.5 million somoni allocated directly from the state budget of Tajikistan.

The phased replacement of equipment at the Nurek hydropower plant has been underway since 2019. Engineers have completely upgraded three hydroelectric units to date. The implementation of modern technologies in turbine manufacturing has already resulted in an actual capacity increase of 260 megawatts for the plant.

The 750 million dollar reconstruction project for the Nurek hydropower plant is scheduled to continue until 2032, when work on all machines is expected to conclude. This budget is part of a broader national investment strategy – over one billion dollars is being directed toward the modernization of existing power stations across Tajikistan. These capital investments are projected to ensure the stable operation of the republic’s generating capacities for another 70–80 years.