On 8 September, 2018 President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov arrived in Mary velayat to attend the opening of the electric power station, timed to coincide with the Day of Energy Industry workers.
The state information agency TDH reports that “this is the first combined heat and power plant which operates based on coordinated control with Mary hydro-electric power station”.
The construction project was carried out by Turkey-based Çalik Holding, whereas gas turbines were supplied by the US General Electric.
In the meantime, according to the news outlet, Turkmenistan supplies electric power to Iran and Afghanistan but at the same time the production diversification is more profitable economically”.
The estimated capacity of the new facility is 1574 megawatt. The plant is equipped with 4 gas turbines with a capacity of 263,25 megawatt each and 2 steam turbines with a capacity of 260,5 megawatt each.
Following the tradition, the opening of the station was accompanied by large-scale festivities (translated into Turkmen as “chare”).
Foreign visitors, who had been invited to attend the event, gave thank-you speech addressed to the President. Anni Sasco, the European Director of the American Fund of Healthy Ecologyб said that “the efforts undertaken by Presidnet Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov are targeted at improving well-being and quality of life of Turkmen residents”.
According to European Director of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Andreas Yanzen “by all standards the project meets the state-of-the art and advanced standards”.
Director of Energy Department of Max Plank Energy Institute Anton Lepigson admired the well-developed infrastructure of the country and the focus on environment safety and thanked Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov for major efforts undertaken in these areas.
Each of the speakers handed out the documents certifying the advantages of the new plant to the President: the environmental safety certificate, the certificate “High tech energy site” and the certificate “Environmental safety and efficiency”.
A Turkmen carpet was presented to the head of the state as a gift on behalf of energy sector workers.