Work on a solar energy project in Sarubi district in the east of Kabul was inaugurated on Tuesday. The project is expected to generate 10 megawatts of electricity, as detailed in a statement by the Taliban.
Taliban’s deputy chief minister, Abdul Ghani Baradar, who attended the inauguration ceremony disclosed that the project had been awarded to a local private company at a cost of 700 million Afghanis, equivalent to over $8.8 million.
According to Baradar, the project is scheduled for completion within one year.
In addition to this development, Baradar also announced their decision to grant the contract for the finalization of a 500-kilovolt transmission line project from Turkmenistan to the Afghan Investment Company, in exchange for a mining concession.
“This initiative is expected to enhance the transfer of hundreds of megawatts of electricity to Afghanistan, resulting in annual savings of $200 million,” he stated.
This move comes amidst Afghanistan’s increasing reliance on imported electricity from neighboring countries, primarily Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, to meet its energy demands.
However, despite these imports, a smooth and equitable distribution of power to all provinces remains a challenge.
