Tajikistan: President launches first turbine of Rogun hydroelectric dam

President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon launched the first of six turbines of the Rogun hydroelectric dam in a ceremony on Friday, balancing a coin on the turbine to demonstrate its smoothness of operation.
When complete, the Rogun rockfill dam is expected to be 335 metres tall (1,099 feet), making it the largest in the world. When all six turbines turbines come online, the facility will generate a total of 3,600 megawatts of power.
"The Rogun hydroelectric dam will fully supply Tajikistan with ecologically clean energy. In the future, when it is complete, it will give us the opportunity to export electricity both during winter and summer to countries in Central and Southern Asia," Minister of Energy and Water Resources Usmonali Uzmonzoda said.
The project itself can trace its roots back to the 1959, with ground being broken in 1976. However, following the collapse of the Soviet Union the project suffered numerous setbacks. With the assistance from Italian company Salini Impregilo, the project is back on track. The project will help Tajikistan eliminate its energy deficit and even allow the country to export electricity to neighbours including Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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