Objective. The objective of this USAID-funded project is to procure and install reactors and capacitors for identified substations in the North East Power System (NEPS). The project is a component of NEPS, along with other ongoing and proposed donor-funded projects to interconnect the northeastern areas of the country. Upon completion, the NEPS voltage level will be maintained within established system operating limits, system losses will be minimized, and power transmitted for NEPS from all resources will be maximized.

Background. The ultimate goal of NEPS is to provide least-cost energy to Kabul and northeastern Afghanistan from northern Afghanistan and its neighbors to the north – Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Considerable growth of industrial, commercial, and residential loads is anticipated in the northeastern part of Afghanistan over the next few years. Further electricity demands are inevitable, and even now generation capacity around Kabul falls short of current demand projections. It is anticipated that Afghanistan will import a total of around 300 megawatts (MW) of power from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan by 2010-2011.

The integrated NEPS will require reactive power compensation (RPC) to support power imports from neighboring countries, provide system voltage and operating stability and control reactive power losses. System studies recommend the installation of RPC equipment, including reactor banks and capacitors, at four existing substations and switching stations and at one future substation.

Status. The IRP team has issued the subcontract for the Reactors at the Naibabad switching station and for the Capacitors at North Kabul, Pul-e-Khumri, and Chemtala substations. Project staffing is nearly complete; civil engineers, electrical engineers and training coordinators have been hired and are undergoing training. The safety manager will transition from another task order and hire the site safety representatives. Subcontract award completion is scheduled for January 2011.

Anticipated Impact. Afghanistan plans to import power from each of the northern neighbors, having already started with 60 MW from Uzbekistan in early 2009. Reactive power compensation will minimize reactive power losses along the NEPS system and will maximize the amount of power imported from the three neighboring countries