Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) on Sunday signed contracts for three power projects for Bamyan province with three separate companies.
According to DABS officials, the three projects include the extension of the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan (TUTA) electricity line to Bamyan, the establishment of a sub-station in Bamyan and the development of Bamyan’s power distribution network.
According to DABS the first contract worth $43.8 million USD, involves the extension of a 220KV transmission line, with the capacity to carry 300MW of electricity from Dushi substation to Bamyan city. The length of this line will be 180km, and the contract was signed with KEC, an Indian Company.
The second contract is for the construction of a 220/20KV substation with the capacity of putting out 32MW in Azhdar area of Bamyan province. This agreement was signed with a Chinese company M/S XINJIANG Electric Power Construction Co. LTD, and the contract’s value is $11.6 million USD.
The third contract is for the construction of Bamyan electrification network, worth $24.1 million USD. This network will provide 20,000 new subscribers with power. The contract was signed with Shyama Power, an Indian Company.
With the first project, the power line that transmits electricity from Turkmenistan will be extended from Doshi substation, in Baghlan province, to Bamyan. The distance between Doshi and Bamyan is 180 Km and the cable will transfer 300 megawatts of electricity to Bamyan.
According to DABS officials, the total cost of the three projects will be around $80 million USD and this will be paid by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
“These projects will start in the next two to three months and we hope that these projects progress well,” DABS head Amanullah Ghalib said.
ADB officials meanwhile said they will continue to assist Afghanistan in a number of sectors.
“Over the next few years, ADB is committed to providing Afghanistan about $230 million USD in grants through 2021. Our three priority sectors will continue to be energy sector, agriculture and natural resources and transport,” ADB director in Afghanistan Samuel Tumiwa said.
DABS officials also said they have two billion AFs and that they will start the implementation of development projects in different parts of the country, even in insecure areas.