KABUL, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The construction work of a major wind power generation project in western Herat province began on Saturday, signaling Afghanistan's pursuit of renewable energy and reduced dependence on imports, said the Afghan power company Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS).
The implementation of this project will ensure access to clean and dependable energy, Acting Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said at the opening ceremony, noting that the country has relied on imported electricity for years, paying considerable sums to suppliers, said the report.
In its first phase, the project will generate 43.2 megawatts of wind power and 5 megawatts of solar power, with an overall capacity expected to reach 200 megawatts of wind and 40 megawatts of solar energy, Abdul Bari Omar, managing director of DABS, posted on his X account.
Afghanistan faces a persistent power shortage, relying heavily on electricity imports from neighboring countries, such as Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Iran. ■
