Facing Shortages, Afghanistan Will Import Electricity from Iran

Afghanistan’s national power company announced that it would import electricity from Iran, in an effort to prevent blackouts. The country reportedly has found it difficult to keep supplied with electricity since the Taliban took over in August. That is because Afghanistan imports its electricity, and the Taliban government has not paid the bills it owes to neighboring countries that have been supplying power to the country. Afghanistan reportedly owes some $90 million to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), the national power company, announced a deal to purchase a 100-megawatt supply of electricity from Iran, the Afghan network TOLO News reported on Friday. Without the agreement, densely populated areas of Afghanistan would face blackouts this winter.  The imported electricity will be distributed in the provinces of Herat, Farah and Nimroz, according to the report citing Taliban officials.

The country needs 850 megawatts of electricity per year, according to the report. Some 230 megawatts is supplied from domestic sources each year.