Kabul, Ashgabat in Talks to Launch TAP Power Project

Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) announced that discussions are ongoing with Turkmenistan over the roadmap to begin work on the TAP (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan) Power Transmission Project in Afghanistan.

According to company officials, Turkmenistan has committed to implementing the project, and once completed, Afghanistan will annually receive between 300 to 350 megawatts of electricity, in addition to earning around $100 to $150 million in transit fees.

This project will transmit 1,000 megawatts of electricity through the provinces of Herat and Kandahar to Quetta, Pakistan.

Safiullah Ahmadzai, Chief Operating Officer of DABS, said: “From the CASA-1000 transmission line, we earn a fee equal to six months of electricity. Here, we will earn for 12 months. Afghanistan will benefit by about $100 to $150 million annually in transit fees.”

Highlighting the regional significance of the project, DABS added that Afghanistan has also presented specific demands to Turkmenistan for its implementation.

Ahmadzai explained: “Afghanistan’s demand is to have one substation in Herat and another in Kandahar before exporting the electricity to Pakistan. This way, Afghanistan can fully utilize one circuit, while the second circuit will supply Pakistan.”

Turkmenistan is currently working jointly with Afghanistan on two major regional energy transmission projects and a railway project. The TAPI gas pipeline, TAP power transmission, and the Torghundi-Spin Boldak Railway are among the initiatives expected to play a vital role in Afghanistan’s economic development.

Mir Shakir Yaqubi, an economic affairs analyst, stated: “Given Afghanistan’s need for energy sources like electricity, it is essential to engage in more practical negotiations with Turkmenistan. One advantage of this project, besides the transit fees, is the strengthening of Afghanistan’s transit position in the region, and it could even help Afghanistan meet some of Pakistan’s energy demands.”

Turkmenistan is one of the Central Asian countries that has expanded its relations with Afghanistan since the return of the Islamic Emirate to power. Previously, Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister had assured Amir Khan Muttaqi that his country would increase cooperation with Afghanistan in the fields of railway development, trade, and transit.