According to Mirzamakhmudov, the project for the construction of the "Puli-Khumri" line will significantly increase electricity exports to Afghanistan. The parties have agreed on a completion timeline of 18 months.
At a press conference on October 28, Mirzamakhmudov noted that energy cooperation with Afghanistan is actively developing. "I have visited the country three times in the last two months, and thank God, everything is calm. Afghanistan is also taking serious steps towards economic development, which is impossible without electricity," he emphasized.
The minister also added that the Afghan side is making efforts to fulfill all financial obligations. "The current government has settled all debts, and payments for electricity are made on time," he noted.
Mirzamakhmudov spoke about the start of work on the construction of the new "Puli-Khumri" power transmission line, which will significantly increase the volume of electricity exports.
"By the order of the president, we are actively working on expanding cooperation. We have already laid lines and modernized substations up to Surkhandarya. In September, we signed a contract for the construction of a new 500 kV 'Puli-Khumri' line, and work has already begun," the minister added.
According to him, both sides have set a goal to complete the project by April 1, 2027. "We have agreed with the Afghan side that the construction of the line will take 18 months. After the implementation of this project, electricity exports from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan will increase several times," the minister summarized.
It is worth noting that on August 17, Uzbekistan signed a number of agreements with Afghanistan, with a total investment volume of 250 million dollars. As part of these agreements, the following was planned:
- construction of a 500 kV power transmission line 'Surkhan - Puli-Khumri' with a length of 200.6 km;
- expansion of the 'Arganda' substation to 500/220 kV and increasing capacity to 800 MVA;
- construction of a double-circuit 220 kV power transmission line with a length of 125 km from the 'Buthak' substation (Kabul) to the 'Sheikh Misri' substation (Nangarhar);
- creation of a 220 kV substation 'Sheikh Misri' (Nangarhar) with a capacity of 2×25 MVA and 2×40 MVA.
Uzbekistan began exporting electricity to Afghanistan in 2002. In December of last year, the country extended the electricity export agreement until 2025. Afghanistan receives 80% of its electricity from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran, while the remaining part is produced domestically.
Trade turnover between the two countries increased by 1.5 times over nine months, amounting to 1.15 billion dollars. This makes Uzbekistan the fourth largest export market for Afghanistan after Russia, China, and Kazakhstan.
According to the National Statistics Committee, from January to September, Uzbekistan exported electricity worth 114.8 million dollars, which is 50% more than in the same period last year.
