DUSHANBE (AFX) - Russian metals giant Rusal said it has begun work on building a hydropower plant in Tajikistan that will power a new aluminum plant and sell surplus energy on domestic and foreign markets, the company said.

Rusal said it in a statement that it has begun investment of $50 million at the site of the power plant in Rogun, in the center of this mountainous Central Asian country.

The hydropower plant is intended to power a massive aluminum plant that Rusal is to build in the south of the country, close to the Afghan border.

It is expected to produce energy not only for Tajikistan, but also for sale to countries in the surrounding region, including Afghanistan and Iran.

Rusal is also restoring a second, Soviet-era plant near the western border with Uzbekistan.

The latter project has encountered objections from Uzbekistan on environmental grounds.