The Ministry of Energy and Water will start work on a solar energy project in Daikundi province in the center of Afghanistan with the capacity of over five megawatts of power, an official said on Thursday.

A Chinese company will work on the project and the contract will be signed in the near future, Asif Ghafoori, head of the office of energy and water minister, told TOLOnews. 

The project will cost $13.7 million USD and will be completed within one and a half years.

The project will provide power to three districts in Daikundi.

“The solar project will generate 5.5 megawatts of power. All phases of the project have been contracted with one company,” Ghafoori said.

An MP from Daikundi, Sadiqizada Nili, meanwhile said government should implement hydro power projects in the province as it has the capacity for such programs.

“We have already recommended construction of a hydropower dam in Shahrestan district in Daikundi. We hope government pays more attention to this matter so that the resident of the province will have access to power,” he said.

The Ministry of Energy and Water says the equipment which will be used in the solar power project have been designed for 25 years.