KABUL, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's national power utility on Tuesday signed 10 contracts valued at 105 million U.S. dollars with private partners covering electricity generation, transmission expansion and critical infrastructure upgrades, the company announced in a statement.
Four of the agreements cover the construction of solar power plants in Parwan, Balkh, Kunduz and Helmand provinces, delivering a combined capacity of 100 megawatts. The remaining six projects focus on transmission lines, new substations and enhancements to grid capacity, according to the statement.
At the signing ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi underscored the importance of developing domestic energy resources to achieve self-sufficiency in the power sector.
Official figures from the national power utility show that Afghanistan continues to face a substantial electricity deficit. The country requires 850 megawatts annually, of which 620 megawatts are currently imported from neighboring countries, including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Iran. ■
