Tajikistan and Afghanistan have signed an agreement on purchase of electricity in 2025.
The Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) reported on November 24 that the document has been inked by in Turkiye Dr. Abdul Bari Omar, the Taliban-appointed CEO of DABS and Muhammadumar Asozoda, the head of Barqi Tojik (Tajikistan state-run energy company).
Barqi Tojik is now responsible for the generation electricity in Tajikistan as well the export of the electricity to the abroad.
Citing Hekmatullah Maiwandi, a spokesperson for DABS, Salam Watandar reported yesterday that the deal will help meet Afghanistan’s electricity needs, as the country imports up to 70% of its electricity from neighboring countries, including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran.
Amu says Afghanistan relies heavily on electricity imports from Central Asian countries, particularly Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, to meet its domestic energy needs. This dependency has persisted in recent years, exacerbated by growing internal demand and limited domestic power generation capacity.
Afghanistan reportedly requires approximately 6,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually, with around 86 percent of its energy imported from neighboring countries such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
Amu notes that while the deal secures electricity imports for the future, residents in Kabul are grappling with severe power outages as winter approaches. Many report having electricity for only four to six hours a day.
“The lack of sufficient electricity, combined with economic hardships, is creating serious challenges for us as we prepare for the winter,” one Kabul resident was cited as saying.
Volumes and costs of supplies, as well as other agreement details, remain undisclosed.
In 2008, the two countries signed a general agreement on the supply of electricity from Tajikistan to Afghanistan until 2028.
At the end of each calendar year, the parties sign an additional protocol specifying the volumes and prices of electricity for the following year.
Over the first ten months of this year, Tajikistan has exported electricity worth more than US$102.4 million, which is US$3.4 million (3.2%) less compared to the same period in 2023.
More than 80% of the electricity exports are directed to Afghanistan, with the remaining 20% going to Uzbekistan.
