Paktika Businessman Expands Solar Power Project
A businessman in Sharana, the capital of Paktika province, has generated one megawatt of electricity through a private investment and says he plans to expand the project’s capacity to four megawatts to meet the electricity needs of the city.
The electricity is generated using solar power, while a diesel generator is used when there is insufficient sunlight.
The power producer, Dost Mohammad, said: “The current capacity is one megawatt. We have purchased some equipment from China and will increase the capacity to two megawatts in the near future. Our plan is to expand it to four megawatts, which will be enough to supply electricity to the entire city of Sharana.”
Meanwhile, a pipe manufacturing factory has also been relocated from Kabul to Sharana because of lower operating costs.
Residents of Paktika and local investors say the electricity project is an important step toward promoting industry and improving daily life.
Before the project, the price of one kilowatt of electricity in Sharan was 60 Afghanis, but it has now dropped to 28 Afghanis.
Ebrahim Hashemi, a representative of a manufacturing factory in Paktika, said: “We relocated our factory from Kabul to Paktika. Although it had operated here ten years ago, we could not afford the cost of fuel for electricity generation. Without a reliable power supply, we cannot afford to rely on diesel generators because diesel has become very expensive.”
Isa Khan, a resident of Paktika, said: “Almost every aspect of life depends on electricity. Whether it is factories, businesses, or other daily activities, everything improves when electricity is available.”
Another resident, Haroon, said: “Previously, electricity was limited and very expensive. One kilowatt cost 60 Afghanis, but after this project began, the price has fallen to 28 Afghanis.”
Paktika is one of Afghanistan’s provinces that is not connected to imported electricity. Currently, two private companies supply the electricity needed for the provincial capital, Sharana.
