Afghanistan has begun construction of a 40-megawatt solar power project in Logar Province, a $36mn initiative aimed at addressing chronic electricity shortages and boosting local development, according to Amu.
The project was officially launched on July 31 by Taliban Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar in Mohammad Agha District. Speaking at the ceremony, Baradar said the investment would not only reduce reliance on electricity imports but also create jobs and support industrial growth.
The initiative consists of two main components: a 40-megawatt solar plant estimated at $28mn, and a 126 MVA substation with transmission lines valued at $7.6mn. Construction is expected to take 18 months.
Once completed, the project is expected to supply electricity to around 40,000 households and power the Mohammad Agha Industrial Park, according to a statement released by the Taliban government.
Currently, only about 40% of Afghanistan’s population has access to electricity, according to data from the national power utility, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS). The country heavily depends on imported electricity, particularly from neighboring Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran—a reliance that costs Afghanistan hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Baradar stressed that the Taliban administration sees renewable energy and water resource management as essential pillars of long-term development.
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