On September 21, 2019 at the Power Governance meeting at the U. S. Embassy, Kabul Afghanistan, the Power Team successfully turned over the final USFOR-A Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund (AIF) Project Southern Electric Power System (SEPS) Sangin to Lashkar Gar to the Afghanistan Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW).
Awarded on September 25, 2014, the AIF Program SEPS Sangin to Lashkar Gah Transmission Line Project provides a single circuit 110 kV electrical transmission system from the Sangin North Substation to the Durai Junction Substation; and Durai Junction Substation to the city of Lashkar Gah.
“Thanks to the partnership and dedication of the inter-agency Power Team, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is pleased to announce the turnover of SEPS Sangin to Lashkar Gah Transmission Line Project”, said Afghanistan District Commander Col. Chris Becking.
The United States Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A) signed over the project to the Afghan Ministry of Energy and Water at the September 21, 2019 Executive Level Power Governance meeting, held at the United States Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Key agencies present at the turnover meeting and responsible for the successful completion of this project include the Afghan Ministry of Energy and Water, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) Electric Utility Company, the Helmand and Lashkar Gah Delegations, USFOR-A, the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
Additionally, the project paves the way for the North East Power System (NEPS)-SEPS Completion Program, awarded on July 3, 2019 by the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and executed by USACE.
The SEPS Completion Project includes construction of new and expansion of existing substations at Tangi, Sangin North, Sangin South and Durai Junction as well as the installation of approximately 114 km of 110 kV transmission line from Kandahar East to Kajaki Switchyard through Breshna Kot, Pushmol, Maiwand, Durai Junction, Sangin South and Sangin North substations.
Through SEPS Completion, the power grid in southern Afghanistan between Kandahar and Kajaki will be rehabilitated, including new high voltage transmission lines, along with new or improved substations and switchyards.
This new infrastructure will improve quantity, quality, and reliability of power transmission from Kajaki Dam to Kandahar.