The key facts

  • The Rogun hydropower plant is almost 70% complete; two of six units are operating
  • The third unit is planned to be launched in September 2027, with the rest by 2031
  • In 2026, 11.4 billion somoni ($1.23 billion) is planned to be allocated for construction

The minister reported on the plant's readiness

Construction of the Rogun hydropower plant in Tajikistan is almost 70% complete. This was announced by the country's Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Juma during a speech in parliament. According to him, the launch of the third unit is scheduled for September 2027, and the rest — by 2031. The plant's design capacity is 3,780 megawatts; a total of six units are planned to be installed, two of which have already been put into operation.

Growth of the power system during the years of independence

The minister also provided data on the development of the country's energy sector: during the years of independence, the installed capacity of Tajikistan's power system has grown by more than 2,300 megawatts and exceeded 6,700 megawatts. Electricity generation increased from 17.4 billion kilowatt-hours in 1991 to 24 billion kilowatt-hours in 2025. Daler Juma emphasized that the Rogun hydropower plant is of strategic importance for the country's energy independence and the sustainable development of its economy.

Financing and progress of work

In 2025, the government of Tajikistan allocated 8.1 billion somoni (about $876 million) from the state budget for the construction of the plant, and in 2026 another 11.4 billion somoni ($1.23 billion) is planned to be allocated. In August, President Emomali Rahmon visited the site and familiarized himself with the dam construction: at that time, more than 20,000 workers and specialists were working at the plant, about 4,000 construction machines and mechanisms were in use, and the dam's height mark had reached 1,155 meters above sea level.

The 'project of the century' and open questions

The Rogun hydropower plant is located on the Vakhsh River, 110 km from Dushanbe. Construction began in 1976 but was halted after the collapse of the USSR; later, Tajikistan resumed the work using its own funds and with the support of international funds. Once completed, the plant is expected to become the largest hydropower plant in Central Asia and one of the tallest in the world. At the same time, environmentalists express concern that the use of the Rogun reservoir could prolong the degradation of unique ecosystems in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya by another 60–100 years.