AFGHANISTAN: GOVERNMENT AND DONOR COORDINATED EFFORTS BRING

UNCLAS KABUL 001088 DEPT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/RA, AND SCA/A DEPT PASS FOR AID/ASIA DEPT PASS USTR FOR DELANEY AND DEANGELIS DEPT PASS OPIC DEPT PASS FOR TDA FOR STEIN AND GREENIP USOECD FOR ENERGY ATTACHE CENTCOM FOR CSTC-A NSC FOR JWOOD TREASURY FOR MHIRSON, ABAUKOL, BDAHL, AND MNUGET DASD FOR DSEDNEY COMMERCE FOR DEES AND FONOVICH SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958 N/A TAGS: ENRG EFIN ETRD KPWR EAID PGOV SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: GOVERNMENT AND DONOR COORDINATED EFFORTS BRING MORE POWER TO KABUL ¶1. (U) Summary. Continued progress in the building and rehabilitation of Afghanistan's energy transmission and distribution infrastructure will soon result in additional power reaching Kabul. The North East Power System (NEPS) will handle the additional import of Uzbek power after a joint government/donor coordinated effort successfully energizes and commissions a new 220kV transmission line. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Since late January, Kabul has been receiving 40MW of electricity from Uzbekistan through an "extension cord" devised and implemented by various donors (including USAID) to alleviate harsh winter conditions at the behest of the Inter-Ministerial Commission on Energy (ICE). This transmission operates through older 110kV infrastructure and originates from the Amu substation in Uzbekistan, bypassing the new distribution network of the NEPS, which operates at 220kV. Beginning this week, a team consisting of various personnel from the Ministry of Energy and Water, DABS (national electric utility),and donor funded contractors will "energize" the new 220kV transmission network originating at the Surkhan substation (Uzbekistan) and ending in Kabul. Once this process is completed, an additional 50-90MW of power will be delivered to Kabul. ¶3. (SBU) Preparations to energize NEPS have been under way for the past two months in order to ensure safe transmission and little or no disruption of power to Kabul or Mazar-e-Sharif. The process involves hot testing and commissioning of each segment/substation independently and sequentially. The energization process is particularly difficult because portions of the NEPS have not been completed, necessitating various technical workarounds. To execute the 220kV commissioning, the 110 kV supply must be shut off, effectively reducing the power Kabul now receives by 40MW. Expected to begin as early as April 30, the shut off is projected to last five days. However, actual duration will be governed by technical problems encountered during the energization process. ¶4. (SBU) Kabul residents have grown accustomed to increased electricity supply (average 12-16 hours daily) since the inception of the "extension cord". Diesel fuel (provided using USAID funding) has been stockpiled at the NW Kabul diesel generation plant to replace the power that will be lost during the energization process. There is sufficient diesel fuel at NW Kabul for up to 20 days of operation. ¶5. (SBU) Comment. Additional energy supply to Kabul will undoubtedly improve city morale and provide additional impetus to enhanced economic activity. Nevertheless, additional electricity translates to larger payments to the Uzbeks, compelling DABS to reduce transmission losses and improve tariff collection expeditiously. The U.S. Mission is supporting this reality by funding the commercialization of Kabul's Electricity District (KED). This proposal is currently awaiting final signature by SRAP Ambassador Holbrooke. RICCARDONE