Is Electricity Coming?

Electricity is coming……. but…

Electricity is a necessary part of the rebuilding process for Afghanistan.  Stable electrical power is important for economic and industrial growth, education and an improvement in the lives of the people.  However, the years of war and drought have severely affected the energy sector. The power systems that survived are aging, and are not sufficient for the needs of the country.  New technology and alternative sources of energy to supply electricity at the lowest possible cost are necessary if Afghanistan is to make progress. 

However, building the energy infrastructure for Afghanistan will not happen overnight. Working together, the Government of Afghanistan and the International Donors can bring electricity, but there are no shortcuts. It will take time and it will require patience. In this series of articles we hope to begin to tell the Afghan energy story.

The Government has said that priority must be given to the development of Afghanistan’s Energy Sector. The International Donors have allocated hundreds of millions of dollars toward the rehabilitation of existing facilities and the construction of new ones to supply electricity. Still the question in the minds of many Afghans is “why doesn’t everyone have electricity yet?”

The answer is, of course, complicated. Finding the correct balance of large, long term projects that will begin to bring electricity in greater supply and short term solutions to provide as much electricity as possible is difficult.  The Government and the Donors must work together to find solutions that will help Afghanistan.

The short term emergency supply of electricity that Afghanistan now has is being obtained through the use of expensive diesel fuel consuming generators like the ones currently in use in Kandahar or Lashkar Gah or diesel fuel burning gas turbines used in the Northwest Kabul Substation. As an example since November 2003 over 50 Million Dollars has been donated by the US Government Agency, USAID, to purchase the diesel fuel required to run the generators that produce electricity at NW Kabul gas turbine power plant, Kandahar, Lashkar Gah and Qalat diesel generating power plants.. This winter will bring new challenges to provide electricity to people

Even now, the International Donors, together with the Government, are working on several expensive and complex projects to create an electricity infrastructure for Afghanistan that will begin to bring much needed lower cost power to Afghan homes and factories .

Most major electricity projects are technical engineering projects and take years to build. Hydro-electric dams that produce electricity from the water flow of rivers take about 10 years to implement and thermal power generation plants that use fuel such as natural gas take 2-5 years to implement.  Small projects are possible in selected areas where water or wind can be harnessed to produce electricity, but the amounts of electricity they can produce are very limited.

The International Community has begun a number of important projects that will bring new and larger systems of electric power production to Afghanistan. Many of the projects are joint efforts involving many of the major funders who work together to achieve the creation of the Energy Infrastructure,

While the funding issues are often complicated, major projects that have been undertaken by donors can be easily identified. For example, the Government of India has given $100 Million USD for the construction of a transmission line from Pul-i-Kumri to Kabul that is a part of the Northern Transmission System. Other portions of the line are being  funded by several other donors such as the ADB, KfW and the World Bank. The Government of India also donated $85 Million US for the construction of the Salma Dam project on the Hari Rod River East of Herat which will supply both irrigation and electric power. 

The Asian Development Bank has committed over $150 Million USD in grants and loans  over the next three years  to rehabilitate the gas wells in the gas fields of Sherberghan to provide fuel for electricity generation and to support private investment in gas development and production.

The World Bank has committed over $100 Million US for a variety of projects ranging from the rehabilitation of the Naghlu Hydropower Plan to the rehabilitation and expansion of the Electricity Distribution Network for Kabul.

USAID has undertaken the development of the Sherberghan Gas Plant at an estimated cost of $150 Million to supply power for the Northern Transmission System and has provided over $50 Million US to date for diesel fuel for power generation. and additional  $50 Million USD  for other power projects including training and capacity building.

There have been some successes to date in the struggle to improve electricity supply to Kabul and other cities. In Kabul, the successful rehabilitation of the Breshna Kot Substation by the German Government’s KfW has brought new state-of-the-art technology to more efficiently supply power from the Naghlu and Sarobi hydroelectric projects located east of Kabul to the residents of Kabul. Also, in several provinces, small hydropower facilities have been built to supply limited amounts of power to villages, taking advantage of local streams.

In the series of articles that will follow this one, it is our hope to shine some light on the subject of electricity for Afghanistan. We will present the energy story and will report on the developments of the Energy Sector as they happen. Stay with us……

In the second part of a four part series, AEPA, the Afghan Energy Press Association (AEPA) discusses the timetable for providing electricity to Afghanistan.

When Is Electricity Coming?

In our first article we discussed the issue of electricity as part of the developing Energy Sector in Afghanistan. The complex projects planned for bringing electricity involve both the Government of Afghanistan and the International Donor Community.  Planning has been ongoing to provide electric power to major population areas that are close to the large transmission lines that will be built (On Grid) as well as to the more remote and less populated areas that will not be able to connect to the transmission lines. (Off Grid). 

The timetable for such projects is an important part of the plan. Major construction projects take years to complete, and the people of Afghanistan are anxious for power. What is the reality?

The reality is that there are several projects that are in various stages of development that will bring electricity to the population. They are complex projects that will take time to build.  Electricity will come, but it will take 1-3 years to implement the projects already initiated.

Long Term Planning Has Been Done

Because the energy infrastructure in Afghanistan is either in disrepair or does not exist at all, a master plan for electricity supply was prepared by the Government of Afghanistan and the International  Donor Community. It is referred to as the NorConsult NorPlan Master Plan and was completed in 2003. It presents a strategy to supply electricity to the whole country by 2020.

 Power will come from a combination of local power plants, as well as imported power purchased from neighboring countries.  Afghanistan will build new power plants, transmission and distribution systems to supply electricity to homes, businesses and factories. But how long will it all take? The following table lists some of the major long term projects planned for the energy infrastructure by the Donors ,  the  amount funded, and the estimated time that project will take to complete..

Table will show major projects such as:                                                                        

Along with the major construction efforts for the Northern Grid System, the Donors have also embarked on smaller projects to provide electricity to the more remote areas that will not be part of the grid. These Off Grid sites will benefit from the development of hydro-electric installations that will use the power of water to generate, electricity. Other renewable sources of energy such as solar (sun) power and wind will be used to generate electricity and reduce the need for expensive diesel fuel.

 Afghanistan is moving forward to provide the people with a stable supply of electricity. Together with the help of the International Donor Community, a new and modern energy infrastructure will be built. Renewable sources for energy will also be developed and areas both on the Grid and off the Grid will benefit from the availability of electric power. 

It will take hard work and cooperation, and, most important of all, time.

Next time we will discuss how electricity will be coming to Afghanistan.

A part of a continuing report on Electricity in Afghanistan, the Afghan Energy Press Service (AEPA) has discussed issues concerning the provision of electricity to the country. We have looked at the questions is electricity coming and when. Now we will begin to discuss how electricity will be brought. 

How Is Electricity Coming?

Since the fall of the Taliban, and the creation of a democratic society in Afghanistan, attention has been focused on rebuilding the country.  A major component of the reconstruction is the building of an effective and modern system to deliver electricity to homes, commerce and industry.

The current infrastructure has not been updated for over twenty years. It lies, like parts of a puzzle, in various stages of disrepair. The system in Kabul was originally planned to serve approximately 700,000 inhabitants.  The population of Kabul now exceeds 3 million. Other major cities are experiencing similar shortfalls in their capacity to deliver power to customers. Additionally, many of the less populated, more remote places in the Provinces of Afghanistan face even more difficulties in connecting to stable power sources.

So, how to fix the problem? 

The NorConsult NorPlan Master Plan, completed in 2003, has provided a master plan for the reconstruction of the electricity supply sector of Afghanistan. It calls for a new power infrastructure to be built in the next few years. Part of the plan will provide 400 Mega Watts of power to Kabul by means of a transmission system that will be built to interconnect the North with Kabul and supply power purchased from neighboring countries and generated in the country by the Sherberghan Power Plant. 

The transmission lines composing the Grid will bring precious electricity to the major population centers in the North and around Kabul. This Grid will carry the electricity purchased from neighboring countries  and the power generated in Afghanistan by power plants like the Sherberghan thermal plant which will use Afghan produced natural gas.

The plan has not forgotten the more remote areas of the Provinces. Several mini and micro hydro power plants are in various stages of design and construction and will provide power for smaller villages for use in homes, farms and industries. Other renewable sources of energy such as solar power and wind are being developed to supplement or replace fuels such as diesel.

Existing electricity and energy power plant and stations are scheduled for repair by the International Donors. A partial list follows:

·        Sarobi Power Plant   44 MegaWatt (MW) will be repaired by Germany. Amount funded?

·        Mahipar Power Plant, 66 Mega Watts (MW),  will be repaired by the Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund anf KfW for $25,000,000.

·        Naghlu Power Plant 100  MegaWatts (MW) will be repaired by the World Bank assistance $ 25,000,000.

·        Darunta Power Plant 10.5 MW with an estimated repair budget of $8 million to be funded by USAID

·        Kabul North West Thermal Power Plant with a total of 44 MW is being repaired by USAID. A feasibility study has been funded by the Afghan Reconstruction Trust Find for $300,000 to determine whether or not the capacity of the plant can be increased by adding a steam component to make it a combined cycle. Additionally, the US Government through USAID has also provided over $40 Million in Diesel Fuel to operate the plant.

·        Kajaki Hydro Electric Dam with two 16.5 MW units is being rehabilitated by USAID. USAID is also funding the installation of a third unit at Kajaki with capacity of 18.5 MW total cost of these works will be about $25 million

New electricity power plants are also planned. Some of the major ones are:

·        Sherberghan Thermal Power Station: including a gas treatment plant, providing  100 MW of capacity is being funded by USAID with $ 150,000,000.

·        Baghdarah Dam and Hydropower Plant in Parwan: with a capacity of 280 MW A feasibility study for the project with a cost of  $3.7 Million will be funded by ARTF or is it WB?, but is yet to be started

·        Salma Irrigation and Power Project near Heart:  will provide 40 MW of hydro power and  will be built on the  Hari Rod River by India for $84 Million

·        Istalif Micro-Hydro Plant in Kabul Province: 200-300 KW will be built by Korea for $2.7 Million

The Energy Sector in Afghanistan must be rebuilt to meet the demands of a new nation. The projects are many, and they are complex, requiring the help of the  International Donor Community and Engineering and Construction Companies. The rebuilding will take time, but when it is completed, Afghanistan will be able to provide stable electricity for homes, business and industry. It will require hard work, patient determination and time to build a new Energy Sector, providing not only power, but a better life for the Afghan people.  

In our first three articles, we have discussed the energy situation in Afghanistan, and have reported on the technical side of projects that will bring electricity. Now we will look at the reasons for electricity and its benefits for the Nation.

Why Is Electricity Coming?

As Afghanistan moves toward the goal of a stable source of electricity for homes, businesses and industry, we must begin to look at why electricity is such a necessary part of modern life. We must also consider what changes are possible when electricity is a part of everyday life. 

So, why is electricity coming?

The modern world is a world of abundant information, rapid communications, high tech, industrial development and the continuing search for better standards of life.  People around the world are now taking advantage of a better way to develop healthy and productive lives, to be educated, employed, and entertained in ways that improve the quality of life.  None of this would be possible, however, without electricity.

Electricity is the engine that drives progress for a country that is rebuilding the lives of its people as Afghanistan is now doing. Without it, there is no light shining into the darkness caused by years of war and natural disasters. With it economic growth, employment and so much becomes possible. 

The following are some of the important ways electricity can make life better:

Electricity for Families

Electricity for homes provides welcome light after dark, which allows both children and adults to read and study. It also provides an alternative to the use of wood, coal or kerosene that cause pollution of the air and health problems.  Cooking and heating water can be done effectively with electricity.

Electricity in the Education Sector

The majority of adults work during the day, so they must study at night if they hope to improve their abilities and become eligible for better employment opportunities. Children also benefit from having light in the evenings to do homework or to read books that supplement the curriculum in schools. Electricity provides opportunities to keep people  informed about the world by watching TV and listening to radio.  The vast world of education and information available on the Internet is only accessed with stable electricity.

Electricity in Agriculture and Environmental Sector:

As Afghan farmers begin to regain their livelihoods and think about expanded markets, electricity will provide much needed refrigeration for the preservation of crops that can be sent to new markets. Electricity also provides effective methods of irrigation for efficient use of wells to water agricultural lands.

Electricity In Industry and Business:

 As factories and other commercial enterprises grow in a developing Afghanistan, electricity becomes an important need.  Electricity is needed for light as well as for power to run the machinery for production and distribution of products made in Afghanistan. As industry and business grow, so does the average salary of those employed.  Salary growth increases the ability of people to live better lives and to buy those necessities of life that improve the quality of life. This increases the commercial and business aspects of the country, helping the economy to become strong.

Electricity in Development for Urban and Rural Areas:

The development of the nation as a whole and rural rehabilitation in particular is made possible through electricity. Electricity can light large cities and bring life to people as it expands their capacities to do business, study and build a new way of life.

Access to television and radio can connect both urban and rural populations to the rest of the world. The availability of Internet for schools provides an important tool for learning that increases the capacity of even the smallest school. With the Internet connections made possible by electricity, the largest city school and the smallest village school can be connected to the world and have its knowledge at their fingertips with computers powered by electricity.

Villagers in the remote areas can use electricity to water their lands properly to grow more crops. Electricity increases the effectiveness of production workers in the villagers as they prepare crops for market.

 It helps to keep people in their villages and reduces the migration of people to the cities as people find it possible to make a decent living and stay in the villages, thereby reducing the rapid growth of cities unable to support new populations. It can also help newly returned refugees from neighboring countries resettle in their native lands rather than flocking to larger cities already overcrowded and struggling to support their residents.

Electric power means power for Afghanistan to develop and become a strong and productive member of the Community of Nations. Working together to build a new Energy Sector, we can give Afghanistan its most important building block: stable electricity.

Our goal has been to educate, inform and encourage the people of Afghanistan about the development of electric power. We will continue to report on all of the different parts of the Energy Sector and how it can help the people of Afghanistan, along with information on how the people can help to conserve energy and use it wisely so that Afghanistan can be proud of its Energy Infrastructure,