Afghan power distribution company Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) has announced an agreement to purchase electricity from Tajikistan in 2025, Eurasiatoday reports.
The agreement was signed in Turkey by DABS CEO Abdul Bari Omar, a Taliban appointee, and Raisi Arsazada, head of Tajikistan’s state-owned electricity company Barki Tojik.
The agreement will ensure future electricity imports at a time when Kabul residents are facing severe power outages as winter approaches. Many report receiving power for only four to six hours a day.
“The power shortage, coupled with economic difficulties, is creating serious problems for us as we prepare for winter,” one Kabul resident said.
Afghanistan relies heavily on electricity imports from Central Asian countries, particularly Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
This dependence has persisted in recent years, exacerbated by growing domestic demand and limited domestic power generation capacity.
According to WorldData, Afghanistan requires about 6,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity per year, with about 86% of its energy imported from neighboring countries such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
November 26, 2024