Rogun Dam

A big wall is being built in a river. This wall is in a land called Tajikistan. It sits in the Vakhsh River. The wall will help make power. This power can make lights work.

Building the wall has taken a long time. People started work many years ago. Work stopped for a while. Then, workers started again in 2016.

Some nearby lands were worried. They need river water for their crops. They grow white cotton with the water.

Now, the lands are not as worried. The big wall will help many people. It is a very large project.

A large dam is being built in Tajikistan. It sits on the Vakhsh River. This dam will help make power. We call this a hydroelectric power plant. It uses moving water to make electricity.

Building the dam has been a long task. Work began in 1976. Later, the work stopped for many years. In 2016, the government started building again. An Italian company was chosen to help. They will build a rockfill dam. This is a wall made of rocks. It may be 335 meters high.

The project has caused some worry. A nearby country called Uzbekistan was concerned. They use river water for cotton crops. They feared the dam would change the water flow. This caused tension between the two lands. However, Uzbekistan stopped its opposition in 2018.

Experts studied the dam to see its effects. They found that most impacts are small. They said the impacts can be fixed. When it is done, the plant will have six turbines. These are large machines that spin to make power. The plant will make a lot of electricity every year.

The Rogun Dam is a huge project in Tajikistan. It is being built on the Vakhsh River. This dam will create a hydroelectric power plant. This type of plant uses moving water to make electricity. The dam is located 110 km from the city of Dushanbe. It is part of a group of power plants called the Vakhsh Cascade.

Building this dam is a very big job. One major part is building a rockfill dam. This is a wall made of rocks that can reach 335 meters high. This single part will cost about $1.95 billion. The whole project is split into four different parts. The power plant will eventually have six turbines. These large machines spin to create 3600 MW of power.

This project has a very long history. People first thought of the dam in 1959. Workers began building it in 1976 during the Soviet era. However, work stopped in 1993 when the Soviet Union collapsed. In 2016, the Tajik government started building again. They chose an Italian company named Salini Impregilo for the work. This company was hired for $3.9 billion.

There have been many important dates for this dam. The first power unit started working in November 2018. The second unit started in September 2019. In July 2016, the president of Tajikistan officially launched construction. In July 2022, workers began pouring concrete for the main core. Tajikistan even tried to raise $1.4 billion from people to help pay for it. By April 2010, they had raised $184 million.

Sometimes, big projects can cause worry between neighbors. The country of Uzbekistan was worried about the dam. They use river water for their cotton crops. They feared the dam would change the water flow downstream. This caused a long disagreement between the two lands. However, Uzbekistan stopped its opposition in 2018. Experts from the World Bank studied the dam too. They found that most impacts are small and can be fixed.

The Roghun Dam is a massive embankment dam currently under construction in southern Tajikistan. It is being built along the Vakhsh River, about 110 km from the capital city of Dushanbe. This dam is a central part of the Vakhsh Cascade, which is a planned series of hydroelectric power plants. The main goal of the project is to generate electricity using the force of moving water. Once the project is finished, the hydroelectric power plant is expected to have six turbines. These turbines will provide a combined capacity of 3600 MW. The facility is projected to produce 17.1 TWh of electrical work every year.

The construction of this dam involves several complex engineering stages. The project is divided into four distinct components. The most expensive component is the building of a rockfill dam. This rockfill structure will reach a height of 335 meters. This specific part of the project is expected to cost approximately $1.95 billion. To manage the river during construction, engineers use diversion tunnels. In December 2010, one of these river diversion tunnels was renovated. By July 2016, the Italian company Salini Impregilo was chosen to lead the construction for $3.9 billion. In July 2022, workers began the process of concrete pouring for the main dam core.

The history of the Roghun Dam spans many decades and several political changes. The idea for the dam was first proposed in 1959. By 1965, a technical scheme for the project had been developed. Construction officially began in 1976 during the Soviet era. However, the project was abandoned in 1993 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. After the collapse, the dam was destroyed in a flood. For over thirty years, only preliminary construction had been completed. In 1994, Tajikistan and Russia signed an agreement to finish the work, but it was later denounced by the Tajik parliament because it was not implemented.

Finding the money to finish such a large project has been a major challenge. In 2010, the government of Tajikistan launched an Initial Public Offering, or IPO, to raise funds. They aimed to collect US$1.4 billion to complete the dam. By April 26, 2010, the government had raised US$184 million. This amount was enough to fund only two years of construction. Despite these financial hurdles, the project moved forward after the government restarted construction in 2016. The first power unit was commissioned in November 2018. The second unit followed in September 2019, both operating on a lower hydraulic head.

International relations have been heavily impacted by the dam's construction. The neighboring country of Uzbekistan has steadily opposed the project. Uzbekistan feared that the dam would reduce the downstream water flow. This water is vital for their lucrative cotton crops and irrigated agriculture. In 2010, the Uzbek Prime Minister demanded an independent examination of the dam's consequences. During that same year, the Uzbek President called the dam a "stupid project." This dispute contributed to bitter relations between the two former Soviet republics for many years.

To address these concerns, the World Bank helped fund several important studies. They financed a Techno-Economic Assessment Study, known as TEAS, conducted by a consortium of experts. They also funded an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, known as ESIA, conducted by Pöyry. These reports were delayed and finally released in mid-2014. The ESIA, published on June 16, 2014, stated that most impacts would be small. It also noted that the impacts could be mitigated, or fixed, if necessary. The report found no "strong negative" impacts that would make the project impossible to continue.

Relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan began to change in recent years. In 2018, Uzbekistan dropped its official opposition to the Roghun Dam. On July 5, 2018, the Uzbek Foreign Minister stated that Tajikistan could go ahead with the build. However, he noted that Uzbekistan would hold to certain guarantees based on signed conventions. This shift marked a significant change in how the two countries interact regarding the Vakhsh River. The dam remains a massive undertaking that connects engineering, economics, and international diplomacy in Central Asia.