The government of Afghanistan has offered the sale of 300megawatt electricity to Pakistan through Torkham and Khost Afghan sides. The offer was made during the 1st Technical Meeting on Economic Cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan held in Islamabad during the last week of June 2019. The meeting presided over by the Advisor to PM on Commerce and Industries, Razzaq Dawood was attended by the higher authorities of the Ministry of Commerce, trade bodies, Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) and senior officials of Afghan customs.
During the meeting, the Afghan side informed that there are three crossing points transmission projects (each of 220Kv), which are to be completed and from which the Afghan side can export electricity to Pakistan via three points namely Spin Boldak, Khost and Torkham. Through Torkham and Khost, the Afghan side can provide electricity of 150megawat each to Pakistan.
The Ministry of Energy of Pakistan endorsed the project proposed crossing points by the Afghan side and asked the Afghan side to provide detail information about under construction projects from Afghan side and informed that after receiving the information in detail, they will give its response after consultation with ministry in two months while the Afghan side will share the proposed area technical in next two months. The Pakistan side will review and provide response after received the technical information within two months.
Both sides also discussed cooperation in field of energy (export and transit) from Central Asian Countries via Theories of I.R. Afghanistan to I.R. Afghanistan likewise TAP and CASA-1000. The Afghan side proposed that the parties will interact in the energy sector and further cooperate in the field of electricity import from Central Asian Countries via theories TAP and CASA-1000 projects. In addition, CASA is seasonal project with electricity supply from Central Asia for five months only. Therefore, the Afghan side proposed utilization of the CASA Transmission lines during the hiatus of electricity supply for providing electricity to Pakistan.
Both parties agreed that the mentioned issue need technical assessment and discussion with CASA-1000 project member countries. Both parties should do the technical assessment and for further discussion there is a need of including this subject matter to the CASA-1000 project meeting agenda. Both sides agreed to the proposal and said that both will conduct technical assessment in six months and if the project is technically feasible, then the issue will be official requested from CASA-1000 members countries for their agreement.
To the proposal of Afghanistan for long-term cooperation of the technical assistance and support, investment and joint ventures (JV) in energy projects, the Pakistan side said that they will share the issue with the related authorities and response to Afghan side in next one month. Both parties agreed that both side will provide facility for private sector to invest as JV with for construction of Hydel Power Projects (HPP) and Thermal Power Projects (TPP) and renewable and technical assistance in construction of electricity projects in Afghanistan based on both side possibility of their participation in the construction of power transmission lines, substations, solar, thermal and hydropower plants, distribution networks and other energy facilities in the territories of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for upcoming projects.
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