Taliban Sign $243M Power Project Deal With Uzbekistan

Taliban on Sunday signed contracts worth about $243 million with Uzbekistan for four electricity transmission and distribution projects, The Caspian Post reports citing the AMU TV.

The signing ceremony in Kabul was attended by Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy chief minister for economic affairs, and Uzbek Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov, according to a statement from Baradar’s office.

The projects include construction of the 500-kilovolt Surkhan-Dasht Alwan transmission line with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts, expansion of the Arghandeh substation to 800 megavolt-amperes, construction of the 220-kilovolt Kabul-Sheikh Mesri line, and establishment of the Sheikh Mesri substation in Nangarhar with a capacity of 126 megavolt-amperes.

The Taliban said the Uzbek investment of $243 million is expected to allow Afghanistan to import 800 to 1,000 megawatts of electricity annually once the projects are completed. The work is scheduled to be finished within 18 months.

Afghanistan relies heavily on imported electricity, with only about 40% of the population currently having access to power, according to available data.