KABUL (SW) – President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Thursday laid foundation stone for $1.16 billion CASA-1000 project meant to export electricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, he said that through this project, Central Asia's electricity will be transported through Afghanistan to South Asia.
Amanullah Ghaleb, general manager of the power utility, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat, called the launch of the project as a major step in the electricity trade and transit sector. He said it is the first major electricity transmission project between Central Asia and South Asia and could be a major step in meeting the region's electricity demand.
Afghanistan would earn up to $ 45 million as transit fee for the project.
The World Ban-funded project's route in Afghanistan is set through Kunduz, Baghlan, Panjshir, Kapisa, Kabul, Laghman and Nangarhar.
The project would be executed by two Indian firms under the supervision of DABS. The total length of the project, which starts in Kyrgyzstan and reaches Pakistan through Tajikistan and Afghanistan, is estimated at 1250 km. Some 575 kilometers of it passes through the Afghan territory.
It is worth mentioning that the project is set to be completed and put into operation in March 2022.
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