Today, on October 8, 2024, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, inaugurated the commencement of the practical work for the 22.75-megawatt solar power project near the Naghlu Dam in the Sarubi district of Kabul province.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by several cabinet members, the Ambassador of Turkey to Afghanistan, officials from Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat, representatives from the private sector, and numerous local citizens.
During the ceremony, Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund highlighted the importance of clean energy, stating that it is a moment of joy to begin a project that will not only strengthen Afghanistan’s resilience in environmental protection and meet the country’s energy needs but also contribute to global efforts in maintaining a cleaner climate.
He emphasized: “Such electricity generation projects can gradually reduce our reliance on imported electricity and enable us to meet our needs using domestic resources.”
The Deputy Prime Minister further added that solar energy projects of this nature will increase investment, production capacity, and employment in the country. Additionally, they will prevent the outflow of currency, significantly contributing to the nation’s economic growth.
He also called on the United Nations and international organizations that support clean energy to provide necessary cooperation with Afghanistan in producing clean energy and to resume the suspended projects in the country.
He pointed out that Afghanistan is one of the countries most affected by climate change, despite having no role in contributing to it.
He stressed that protecting the global climate is a shared responsibility of all nations, and every country is affected without exception. Therefore, this shared responsibility requires collective cooperation.
In conclusion, the Deputy PM extended an invitation and assurance to both domestic and foreign investors, emphasizing that the Islamic Emirate welcomes any investment and initiatives, particularly in the energy sector, and will provide necessary support and facilities for them.
It is worth mentioning that the 22.75-megawatt solar power project, being implemented by the 77 Turkish company and the local Zolerstan company, involves an investment of approximately $18 million.
The project is expected to be completed within a year and will help address the electricity issues in Kabul’s industrial parks and for local citizens to a significant extent.