Dushanbe, Tajikistan, October 1, 2013 – As part of the ongoing Rogun Assessment Studies, the World Bank today disclosed summaries of two reports: (1) the Geological and Geotechnical Investigation of the Salt Wedge in the Dam Foundation and Reservoir and (2) an Assessment of the Existing Rogun Hydropower Project Works. The first report examines the potential impact on dam safety of the wedge of salt that exists along the Ionakhsh Fault and serves as a critical decision point in the overall Rogun Assessment Study process. The second report evaluates the conditions of the existing facilities, including tunnels and caverns, and makes recommendations for bringing the facilities to the required standards of safety and quality). The summaries are posted on the World Bank website www.worldbank.org/eca/rogun.
These two summaries will be the subject of consultations and information-sharing sessions on October 17 and 18. The World Bank welcomes comments on the summaries disclosed today by email until November 1, 2013, at rogunconsult@worldbank.org. These summaries represent two phases of the ongoing Techno-Economic Assessment Study (TEAS) and will be followed by subsequent technical phases and the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment.
The upcoming fourth information-sharing meeting in October will cover summaries of reports that examine aspects of dam safety. These summaries were submitted by Coyne et Bellier and have been reviewed by the independent Panel of Experts, but will not be considered final until after riparian counterparts and civil society stakeholders have provided comments and feedback through the consultation period. Consultations will be held among the governments and civil society groups of the riparian countries.
World Bank Director for Central Asia, Saroj Kumar Jha, noted that “The World Bank remains committed to ensuring that the assessment studies are completed in an objective and rigorous manner, aligning with current international practices for studying large hydropower projects. We will continue sharing interim findings with the public and with riparian governments as they become available.”
So far, studies on the following topics have been disclosed and consulted on with stakeholders: hydrology, design criteria, geological investigations in the downstream right bank, seismic hazard assessment, and site layouts and cost comparisons for different dam heights. Additional interim studies are currently underway, including the economic and financial analyses of the proposed project, as well as the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). Additional consultations will be held to review and discuss these documents. Together, all of these documents comprise the full Assessment Studies and will serve as an input to decision-making about the proposed Rogun Hydropower Project.
"The Assessment Studies will decide neither whether the proposed Rogun dam will be built, nor the final design, should a project proceed. A variety of other factors such as international agreements and financing would need to be considered before the future of the proposed Rogun project is decided. Our role is to help establish objective, independent, and comprehensive facts for all stakeholders. The World Bank has made no financial commitment to support construction of the proposed dam," added Mr. Jha.
