UAE based PAL 4 Solar Energy LLC will set up 3 GW of solar power capacity in Afghanistan under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) it has signed with the Government of Afghanistan. The agreement was signed at the Afghan Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
PAL 4 Solar will build and install this capacity in the country which on completion will generate up to 3 GW of clean power across the country, stated Afghanistan's power utility Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) in a brief statement on its website.
Pal 4 Solar Energy is an independent power producer that made news earlier this year in February 2020 when it was reported to have won a contract in Mali for a 100 MW solar PV project from the country's Ministry of Energy and Water.
According to the World Bank, 70% of Afghanistan's 1,450 MW power capacity is imported and only 34% of its population has access to electricity. The government is working on adding 2 GW of renewable energy capacity to help it become energy independent and diversify its electricity supply. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is helping Afghanistan with 40 MW of solar power capacity under its Scaling Solar Program (see 40 MW Scaling Solar Tender In Afghanistan).
A news report by Ariana News says the country has 3 operational solar power plants currently in Kandahar, Bamiyan and Herat provinces. It referred to a report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that believes Afghanistan has the potential to add 220 GW of solar power capacity.
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