KABUL, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's national power company, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), signed contracts for five major power sector development projects on Wednesday to bolster the country's strained electricity infrastructure.
The projects valued at more than 710 million afghanis (nearly 11 million U.S. dollars) include the construction of four major substations, resolving the overloading issue in Kabul, and meeting related technical requirements, the company said in a statement.
The projects are expected to play a vital and foundational role in strengthening the national power grid and enhancing its stability and sustainable growth, the statement added.
The landlocked Afghanistan has long grappled with chronic power shortages, relying heavily on imported electricity from neighboring countries while reportedly producing only about 300 megawatts domestically and importing 620 megawatts annually from Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran. ■