Uzbekistan

Inside Tajikistan’s Energy-Aluminum Nexus

David Trilling Jun 10, 2014
Inside the Nurek hydropower station, built in the 1970s, an ornate mosaic features Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin. Inside the Nurek hydropower station, built in the 1970s, an ornate mosaic features Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin.
The Nurek hydropower station and dam (background), featuring a photograph of President Emomali Rakhmon. The Nurek hydropower station and dam (background), featuring a photograph of President Emomali Rakhmon.
The Nurek reservoir in late April. Tajikistan suffers extensive blackouts, especially in winter, when the reservoir is low. The Nurek reservoir in late April. Tajikistan suffers extensive blackouts, especially in winter, when the reservoir is low.
Inside the control room at the Nurek hydropower station, beneath the tallest dam in the world. Inside the control room at the Nurek hydropower station, beneath the tallest dam in the world.
The sprawling, grimy Talco plant looks like the set for a James Bond movie. The sprawling, grimy Talco plant looks like the set for a James Bond movie.
Alumina is baked between electrically charged anodes made of carbon. The process forms CO2, a byproduct, and liquid aluminum. Alumina is baked between electrically charged anodes made of carbon. The process forms CO2, a byproduct, and liquid aluminum.
After the charged anodes remove the C02, liquid aluminum is poured off and transported to molds. After the charged anodes remove the C02, liquid aluminum is poured off and transported to molds.
Workers inside the Talco plant. Talco sent home 20% of its workforce earlier this year and reduced salaries for the rest. Workers inside the Talco plant. Talco sent home 20% of its workforce earlier this year and reduced salaries for the rest.
Aluminum ingots ready for shipment. Aluminum ingots ready for shipment.
Inside Talco, cheerful placards announce, “Rogun is the national conscience and honor of our country.” Inside Talco, cheerful placards announce, “Rogun is the national conscience and honor of our country.”
Until this year, Talco funded a school for gifted children. It will be handed over to the city of Tursunzoda. Until this year, Talco funded a school for gifted children. It will be handed over to the city of Tursunzoda.
Talco funds after-school dance and sewing classes in Tursunzoda, which was built for workers and their families. Talco funds after-school dance and sewing classes in Tursunzoda, which was built for workers and their families.
An after-school dance funded by Talco. An after-school dance funded by Talco.
The Talco plant in Tursunzoda is surrounded by rice paddies and wheat fields. The Talco plant in Tursunzoda is surrounded by rice paddies and wheat fields.
The tallest flagpole in the world, which Talco helped build, seen here next to one of the president's palaces in March, 2012. The tallest flagpole in the world, which Talco helped build, seen here next to one of the president's palaces in March, 2012.
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The Soviet Union built Nurek, the tallest hydropower dam in the world, and Talco, the largest factory in what is now Tajikistan, as part of a single system in the 1970s. Aluminum smelting requires vast amounts of power. The dam and the plant were to help industrialize the distant, subsidy-dependent Soviet republic.

Fast forward 40 years and Nurek – which generates 75 percent of Tajikistan’s electrical output – is not enough. The Talco factory uses so much power (39 percent of Tajikistan’s output, according to a 2012 World Bank study; 13-15 percent in these lean years, according to the company), that Tajikistan suffers incapacitating shortages, especially in autumn and winter when Nurek's reservoir is low.

So Tajik officials say they need a new dam: Rogun. However, downstream Uzbekistan is passionately opposed to the project, which is designed to top Nurek and become the world’s tallest.

As Nurek's deputy director Davlatbek Salolov says, “Tell the world: When we build Rogun, all of our problems will be solved. With Rogun we can ensure energy not only for ourselves, but also for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Like Arabs sell oil, we will sell electricity.”

David Trilling is EurasiaNet's Central Asia editor.

David Trilling is Eurasianet’s managing editor.

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