Electricity will only be supplied to Afghanistan after Uzbekistan's needs are fully met, according to Khodjaev. Video

Electricity from Uzbekistan will be supplied to Afghanistan only after the country's domestic needs are fully met, Energy Minister Sherzod Khodjaev stated on the O'zbekiston 24 television channel. This primarily concerns seasonal surpluses generated during peak production periods at solar and wind power plants.

The minister reported that the Afghan side has initiated a project to build new and modernize existing power grids. Under agreements between the two countries' energy companies, it is planned to build and upgrade 220-500 kV transmission lines and substations.

Specifically, the plans include the construction of a 200.6-kilometer 500 kV Surkhan-Puli-Khumri transmission line, the expansion of the Arganda substation to 500/220 kV, and the construction of a 220 kV transmission line from the Butkhak substation in Kabul to the Sheikh Misri substation in Nangarhar, as well as a new Sheikh Misri substation.

The need to expedite the implementation of the Surkhan-Puli-Khumri transmission line project was discussed at a meeting with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on August 13. At the same meeting, issues of energy development and the transfer of management of the regional power grids in the Samarkand region to foreign investors, including the Turkish company Aksa Enerji, were also discussed.

The main work on energy projects in Afghanistan is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027. Their implementation should expand opportunities for energy exchange between the two countries.

At the same time, according to Khodjaev, electricity exports should not affect Uzbekistan's domestic needs. "The Surkhandarya region is a very sunny region. The capacity of the solar power plant operating there is sufficient to fully meet the region's needs. However, we plan to build two or three additional power plants there," the head of the Ministry of Energy stated.

He noted that during periods of high output from solar and wind power plants, the country generates seasonal surpluses. Exporting these surpluses will improve the economic efficiency of the energy system.

It was previously reported that Uzbekistan will participate in the modernization of Afghanistan's energy infrastructure. The projects include the construction of power lines and substations with voltages ranging from 220 to 500 kilovolts.