Work on Uzbek transmission line to Afghanistan begins

KABUL, an advisor to President Ashraf Ghani says.

The new transmission line being built between Surkhan and Pul-e-Khumri is estimated to cost $150 million initially, with $32 million provided by Uzbekistan.

Advisor on Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Muhammad Humayun Qayumi said in an interview the feasibility study for the Asian Development Bank-funded project was being finalised.

A contract with Uzbekistan would be inked soon for the construction of a power transmission line, he told the Tashkent-based news agency Podrobno.uz. The timescale for the project is two years.

Construction of the line in Uzbekistan has already got under way. The advisor said once the feasibility study was approved, work would begin in Afghanistan as well. “It will happen in the very near future.”

The capacity of the new transmission line is estimated at 1,000 MW, which will allow exporting 24 million kWh daily, about 6 billion kWh annually, to the energy-deficient country.

The agreement on building the power line was signed during the visit of President Ashraf Ghani to Uzbekistan in December 2017. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

PAN Monitor/mud

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