OPEC Fund backs Tajikistan’s Rogun hydro plant with $25m loan

Tajikistan’s landmark Rogun hydro project has just received a $25 million boost in the form of a loan from the OPEC Fund.

The loan is the first tranche of a US$100 million OPEC Fund financing facility for the project.

Construction began on the Rogun Dam in the Soviet-era 1970s, only to be canceled after the fall of the Soviet Union. The World Bank Group committed to helping Tajikistan assess resumed work on the project in March 2009, but the project waited in purgatory until construction finally resumed in 2016. 

Located in the upper reaches of the Vakhsh River in the Pamir Mountains west of the Himalayas, the 3,780MW Rogun hydro project will be both the tallest dam in the world at 335m and also the highest dam in the world with a dam crest at 1,300m above sea level, according to a release.

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“Tajikistan has enormous hydro energy potential and tapping into this natural wealth will strengthen energy security, independence and export capacities," said OPEC Fund president Abdulhamid Alkhalifa.

"The Rogun HPP is not only a monumental engineering project but also a crucial step in securing Tajikistan’s energy future. The OPEC Fund is committed to supporting sustainable energy solutions that contribute to local and regional development,” concluded Alkhalifa.

The Rogun hydro project includes a 335-meter-tall embankment dam, hydraulic tunnels of 1,100 to 1,500 meters, an underground powerhouse with six units, balance of plant and auxiliary equipment.

In addition to powering Tajikistan, energy from the hydro plant is expected to be exported to nearby countries.

In 2022, Webuild began the concrete pour for construction of the project's main dam.

Originally published by Sean Wolfe on hydroreview.com