Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Kabul (BNA) Officials for Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) have informed of a new plan and launching solar power project in Kabul city. According to the new plan, solar power equipment will be installed on roofs of residential houses and ministries.
“Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat has designed a project which will help government institutions and residents of a part of Kabul city to use solar power instead of imported electricity”, the officials added.
The DABS officials further said the company would help customers to install the equipment on their houses or offices, adding that the plan is a mid-term solution for electricity shortage in Kabul.
Amanullah Ghalib, head of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) told media, “The Asian Development Bank has promised to fund the project and our company will provide 50 percent of the solar system expenses to its customers if ADB delivers its promise in this regard.”
We are going to implement the plan and if God is willing it will be implemented in ministries by the end of this year or the next year,” Ghalib said.
Meanwhile, a number of Kabul residents have welcomed the plan and told The Kabul Times correspondent that electricity shortage and load-shedding was a major problem for them, asking the government to implement long-term programs to address electricity shortage in Kabul.
“We have lots of problems as all electricity equipment becomes inactivated when there is no electricity. If solar power equipment is installed, it will help us to use all electricity equipment including refrigerator,” said Ahmad, a resident of Kabul.
“Many parts of Charah-e-Qamber area in Kabul have little or no electricity. We must have full access to electricity to address our problems. Sometimes we make use of generators to have electricity,” another Kabul resident, Yama said.
The project will be implemented in two phases: The first phase, which will be completed by the end of the next year, will cover ministries and other government institutions and will produce up to 15 megawatts of power. And the second phase will cover the DABS customers across Kabul city.
It is said that lack of electricity has remained as one of key challenges in recent years although electricity has become better in Kabul and a number of the country’s provinces; but it is needed to electricity load-shedding is ended.
The plan for installation of solar power equipment and use of the power can help the people to have satisfactory electricity and will be effective not only for ministries but also residential houses in Kabul.
It is worth mentioning that Afghanistan is among countries which have much solar energy and the people can address electricity shortage by installation of solar power equipment in all seasons as currently a number of ministries and residential houses use solar energy in the country.
Shukria Kohistani
