Rehabilitation and Repair

Stantec receives contract to improve climate resilience of Tajikistan’s hydro sector

Stantec receives contract to improve climate resilience of Tajikistan’s hydro sector

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has awarded Stantec the contract to continue work on the second phase of the capacity building project to strengthen the climate resilience of Tajikistan’s energy sector assets and operations, as part of the EBRD’s investment in the rehabilitation of the 126-MW Qairokkum hydropower plant in northern Tajikistan.

In the first phase of the project (2015 to 2018), Stantec provided support for the development of essential technical capacities in this area. The objective of the second phase is to continue the capacity development of the Tajik national power company Barqi Tojik, together with the country’s national hydro-meteorology agency, Tajik Hydromet, and other relevant institutions in Tajikistan.

By sharing knowledge and providing dedicated training and support, the project enhances capacities to improve understanding and management of climate change risks to the energy sector as a whole, and hydropower operations in particular, and ensure that investments in the hydropower infrastructure contribute towards the longer-term climate resilience of Tajikistan’s hydropower sector.

“Tajikistan relies almost entirely on glacial hydropower for its electricity supplies, making it one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the effects of climate change,” said Craig Scott, hydropower engineer with Stantec. “Improvements to the hydropower sector are both critical and urgent, so our international team is eager to build on the foundation that we laid in the first phase and continue our support of the development of this sector.”

In this second phase, Stantec’s team of specialists in hydrology, dam safety and hydropower engineering from Canada, Turkey, New Zealand and the UK are working to further strengthen capacities, build skills in new technical areas and put in place long-term mechanisms to promote professional development and knowledge transfer to hydropower sector professionals in Tajikistan and the wider region.

“As part of the project, we conducted three trainings in January on glacial and geological hazards (GLOF&LDOF), quality assurance of hydrometeorological and reservoir data, and seasonal forecasting of regional hydro climate and reservoir inflows,” said John Young, geotechnical engineer. “Over the rest of the year, we will organize over more 15 trainings and workshops to continue to improve climate risk management practices and capacity in Tajikistan and its surrounding region and modernize the Tajik energy sector.”