General Electric Company’s (NYSE:GE) unit, GE Vernova’s Hydro Power business, has successfully completed the upgrade of the first of six Kaplan turbine and generator units at the Qairokkum hydropower plant in Tajikistan.
GE Vernova represents the combined efforts of GE Digital, Renewable Energy, and GE Power. Its Hydro Power business specializes in cutting-edge technologies that harness the power of water to provide reliable energy to some of the world’s largest economies and remote communities.
The Qairokkum hydropower plant, constructed over 60 years ago on the Syr Darya River, is the sole power generation facility located in the northwestern Sughd region. This hydropower plant has long been the primary source of electricity for approximately 500,000 residents in the area. General Electric, in collaboration with Barki Tojik (the national integrated power company of Tajikistan), has been chosen to revamp the six Kaplan units at the Qairokkum plant. Alongside Cobra, a division of ACS Group, GE will lead the efforts to rejuvenate this hydropower plant. General Electric will serve as the leader of this consortium, overseeing the upgrade of the six turbines and generators, as well as other necessary plant improvements.
The initial Kaplan unit, previously with a capacity of 21 megawatts (MW), has now been upgraded to 29 MW, creating the potential for increased green energy production. The remaining five units will undergo similar transformations, collectively boosting the plant’s capacity to 174 MW. These extensive upgrade activities will prolong the Qairokkum plant’s operational life and enhance its ability to provide cleaner and sustainable energy to the country.
The comprehensive modernization project at the Qairokkum hydropower plant is anticipated to conclude by mid-2025.
Featured Image: Freepik
Author Stephanie Bédard-Châteauneuf 
