Overview. The objective of this USAID-funded project is to manage an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract to install a National Load Control Center (NLCC) for the North East Power System (NEPS). The project is part of a series of ongoing proposed donor-funded projects to interconnect the northeastern areas of the country. The NLCC system will be equipped with supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and related equipment needed to enhance the reliability, effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of NEPS operations.

NEPS aims to provide least-cost energy from northern Afghanistan and its northern neighbors to Kabul and other communities in northeastern Afghanistan. The main load center for NEPS is in Kabul. Over the next several years, it is envisioned that there will be considerable growth of industrial, commercial, and residential load needs. Generation capacity around Kabul already falls short of the current demand projection, and further electricity demand additions are inevitable.

Upon completion of this project, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), the Afghanistan utility company, will be able to monitor data and control the various elements within the substations and power stations for the NEPS transmission system and Tarakhil power plant. This will enable a safe and efficient operation of the power supply network. In addition, it will provide instantaneous data about transmission and generation parameters, such as voltage, ampere, frequency, MV, and MVAR. This will efficiently assist operation in scheduling system maintenance and planned outage, as well as managing load shedding, restoring the network in a timely manner and intertie transfers.

Current Activities:

With the goal of accelerating construction of this project, the NLCC project has been divided into three major tasks: 1) Optical Ground Wire (OPGW), 2) NLCC Main building and 3) SCADA/RTU equipment.

• The OPGW project is almost completed. The repair of the OPGW break point in the vicinity of Charikar was successfully accomplished. NEPS, which conducted the end-to-end test for all 600 KM OPGW with the exception of Puli Khumri and Naibebad linkages, found the continuity of all other links acceptable. Technical investigations of OPGW broken by bullets have been performed.
• Substation adaptation and equipment installation at 17 stations are almost completed. A 10 hour outage for 220 and 110 KV transmission line and substations was achieved by DABS, and the subcontractor accomplished the required tests at three major sites. The second part of SCADA equipment FAT was conducted at Istanbul. Both the Task Order Manager and the DABS COO witnessed the testing process.
• USKOM technical team accepted the completion of five selected rooms at NLCC building of of SCADA Master Station, and installation of equipment in these rooms is in progress.
• NLCC building civil and electrical works are almost completed; minor mechanical works for fire suppression system is in progress and will soon be completed.

Accomplishments:

• Substation adaptation and equipment installation at 17 stations are at 98% complete. Power quality analyzers (PQAs) have activated at 17 stations.
• Communication/OPGW system end-to-end test done by both subcontractors together and Task Order Engineers monitored the tests process at all 17 sties.
• Installation of SCADA Master Station and communication equipment at NLCC main building is in progress. Recently new SCADA equipment arrived at Kabul Airport and paperwork for tax exemption completed.
• NLCC building construction activities are 100% completed; work on correction of punch list is almost finalized, pending minor items such as connection of HDP pipes with the existing 10 inch water network pipe graveling and cleaning of the trench area.
• Conducted classroom training of four DABS personnel in Lahore, Pakistan.
• Conducted SCADA training to include feeder’s adaptation, cabling, installation of Marshaling Panels and RTUs.