KABUL (TCA) — Officials from Afghanistan’s power supply company Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) on November 19 said that construction of a new power line between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan’s Baghlan province will get underway soon, TOLOnews reports.
The Surkhan-Pul-e-Khumri power transmission project between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan was agreed upon by representatives of the two countries on the sidelines of the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) in Turkmenistan last week.
According to DABS, this power line will transmit up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan and both countries will start the construction phase soon.
“This project will start following the visit of an Afghanistan delegation to Uzbekistan. Then we will start practical work,” DABS head Amanullah Ghalib said.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Sunday that he will sign 14 agreements with Uzbekistan during an upcoming visit to that country. The Surkhan-Pul-e-Khumri power transmission project will be one of the agreements signed.
The new power project will transmit electricity that will be used mostly for industries.
“In less than 15 days I will go to Uzbekistan and 14 agreements are ready to be signed with Uzbekistan which includes this project agreement too,” said Ghani.
The Afghan private sector said the implementation of major power projects will resolve electricity shortages that factories face.
DABS officials also said Turkmenistan has agreed to provide Afghanistan with power at a reasonable rate.
