KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Afghanistan’s state electricity company, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), now under Taliban control, has signed contracts for five power generation projects with a combined capacity of 845 megawatts (MW), officials said on Wednesday (February 11).
The agreements were signed in Kabul in the presence of Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs. The contracts were awarded to the private company Azizi Energy.
According to a statement from Baradar’s office, the projects include two 100MW solar power plants in Naghlu, Kabul province, and Barik Ab in Parwan province. A 130MW solar plant will be built in Ghazni province. In addition, a 165MW power plant is planned for Takhar province, and a 350MW coal-fired power plant will be constructed in Baghlan province.
The total investment in the projects is estimated at $463m, the statement said.
Solar power projects are expected to be completed within two years, while the coal-fired project is scheduled for completion within three years.
The deal follows a previously announced $10bn memorandum of understanding signed in August between the Taliban’s Ministry of Energy and Water and Azizi Energy to generate, transmit and distribute up to 10,000MW of electricity nationwide using gas, coal, hydro, wind and solar power. Taliban officials said 4,000MW would be allocated for public consumption and 6,000MW for industrial use. Azizi Energy CEO Mirwais Azizi said work would begin immediately, with completion expected within seven to 10 years. The Taliban claim the project would help Afghanistan achieve energy self-sufficiency, enable electricity exports to neighboring countries and create jobs.
Afghanistan faces chronic electricity shortages and relies heavily on imports from neighboring countries. According to the Taliban-run Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat, only 40% of the population has access to power. The country imports over 70% of its electricity, mainly from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran — a supply often disrupted due to rising domestic demand in those countries.
Taliban officials say expanding domestic power generation will help reduce dependence on imports and support economic development.
