Support sought for energy sector development

KABUL’s first Gas-to-Power Symposium as part of ongoing American support to the country’s energy sector.

The US Department of Commerce and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) organised the symposium in Abu Dhabi on Sunday to stimulate international private sector interest in the development of natural gas infrastructure in northern Afghanistan, particularly in gas processing and power generation.

A statement on Monday said that the USAID, senior officials attending including Shafiqullah Shahrani from the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum and Mirwais Alami, chief commercial officer of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), the national power utility.

“The United Statesg government is convening international and Afghan business leaders with Afghan government officials to discuss business opportunities in an exciting new market,” said Roy Plucknett, USAID Deputy Mission Director.

“This will help meet Afghanistan’s growing demand for power through the development of clean and efficient domestic energy resources,” the official added.

USAID’s Sheberghan Gas Development Project (SGDP) is a four-year, id=”mce_marker”25 million initiative. The project seeks to kick start private investment in Sheberghan’s energy sector by drilling or rehabilitating three gas wells; conducting a study to certify reservoir gas quantity, pressure, and quality; and by helping find seed money and know how to design, construct and operate a gas processing plant and 200 MW power generation plant near Mazar-i-Sharif.

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