The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has provided a US$415,850 grant to the Ministry of Energy (MOE) of Tajikistan to fund a feasibility study on the modernisation of Kairakkum and Varzob Cascade hydro power plants in Tajikistan.

In addition to increasing electricity production at the plants – owned by the state electricity company Barqi Tojik – the planned modernisations should prolong their useful life and contribute to Tajikistan’s self sufficiency in power production.

The 126MW Kairakkum plant was commissioned in 1957 and is located in Northern Tajikistan on the Syrdarya river. The plant is the primary source of electrical production in Northern Tajikistan and is an important reservoir for irrigation.

The Varzob hydroelectric cascade consists of a series of three hydroelectric plants on one stretch of the Varzob river in central Tajikistan.