In a ceremony today on the outskirts of Kabul, responsibility for the 105 megawatt Tarakhil Power Plant was officially handed over from the U.S. Government to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.  U.S. Ambassador Karl W. Eikenberry, USAID Mission Director Earl Gast, Acting Minister of Energy and Water Mohammad Ismail Khan, and Chief Executive Officer of Da Breshna Afghanistan Sherkat (DABS) Dr. Jalil Shams took part in the official handover ceremony and ribbon cutting.

The first block of six generators at Tarakhil was brought online August 5, 2009, and the facility was fully completed on May 31, 2010.  Tarakhil now has the capacity to provide electricity for up to 600,000 residents in Kabul connected to the North East Power System (NEPS). 

“I want to thank the international community, especially the United States,” said Ismail Khan, Acting Minister of Energy and Water.  “Three years ago Kabul only had two or three hours of electricity a few nights a week, but today we have electricity 24 hours per day,” said Khan.

The U.S. Government is also coordinating with DABS, the Afghan national utility authority, to build a national load center and the Tarakhil Training Center on the grounds of the facility.  The load center will help regulate Kabul’s electricity more efficiently, and the training center will be used to provide technical training to DABS employees. 

“We will continue this program to develop DABS staff abilities to manage, operate, and maintain this impressive plant,” said Ambassador Eikenberry.  During his speech, Eikenberry pointed to a group of DABS employees in the crowd, exclaiming, “Here is the future of Afghanistan.”  After the official signing and a ribbon cutting, Eikenberry and a large crowd toured powerhouse #3 with DABS employees, who explained the intricate generator systems.

“The United States will continue to look for opportunities to invest with you in the power sector and in other areas that support social and economic growth,” said Eikenberry.  “The opportunities are great, as is our commitment to Afghanistan’s development.”