KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban-run Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat, the country’s power distributor company, announced on Monday the signing of a $12 million, three-party agreement to fund the Kajaki Hydropower Dam project in Helmand Province.
The agreement was signed by Abdul Bari Omar, the CEO of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat; Shakir Jalali, the Chief Executive of Afghan National Bank; and Burak Unsal, the head of Kajaki Energy Production Company, according to a statement from the electricity company.
Under the terms of the deal, Afghan National Bank has committed to providing $12 million in financing to support the project through a Murabaha agreement—a type of Islamic financing. The funds will be allocated to Kajaki Energy Production Company over a five-year period to aid in the dam’s development.
Kajaki Dam is a critical source of hydropower for southern Afghanistan, particularly in Helmand Province. The facility’s second phase, which has a capacity of 51 megawatts, was completed in 2022 and inaugurated by Taliban officials.
The project had originally been launched in 2017 under the previous Afghan government in partnership with a Turkish firm.
Currently, Kajaki Dam has a total capacity of 151 megawatts, contributing significantly to the region’s electricity supply.
