The power plant is part of the Rogun Dam project. At a height of 335 meters, the dam taking shape here will be the highest in the world. The 8DQ1 switchgear, covering a voltage range of up to 550 kilovolts (kV) with 21 circuit breakers, and the 8DN9, covering up to 220 kV with four circuit breakers, will protect the power generation and transmission systems in the hydropower station against short circuits and overloading. The switchgear should be fully installed and ready for operation by 2018.

The Rogun Dam will stand on the river Vakhsh, about 100 kilometers north-east of Tajikistan’s capital, Dushanbe. It will be upriver from the Nurek Dam, which is currently the world’s highest at 300 meters. A hydropower station with a generating capacity of 3600 megawatts (MW) is planned for the Rogun Dam, with generation provided by six 600 MW turbines. This will enable 13.3 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity to be generated annually, supplying power to large areas of Central Asia. It will be one of the largest hydropower stations in the world.

The gas-insulated switchgear covering ranges up to 220 kV and 550 kV are fitted with online monitoring devices to enable automatic remote diagnosis and self-monitoring and have been developed for an estimated total service life of more than 50 years, and are almost maintenance-free once in operation.