The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has issued a public call for investors to help develop a series of major hydropower projects across the country.

The initiative, announced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, is framed as a cornerstone of the administration's national plan to achieve energy independence and harness its natural resources. The government is appealing to both domestic and international capital, promising transparency and full state support for the construction and development of the dams.

"Initiating these hydropower projects is a national priority for achieving self-sufficiency in energy and powering the country's economic growth," a statement from the economic office read. Officials highlighted Afghanistan's topography and water resources as holding "exceptional potential" for hydropower generation and pledged to facilitate all necessary procedures for interested parties.

A detailed list of six proposed projects was released, with planned facilities located in the provinces of Takhar, Kunar, Daikundi, Uruzgan, and Kunduz. The projects vary in scale, with the largest being the Qala Mami dam in Takhar province, which has a projected capacity of 445 Megawatts (MW) and could generate an estimated 1,756.5 Gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually. The smallest listed project, Khanabad-2 in Kunduz, has a capacity of 10.4 MW.

According to the government, the development of these dams is expected to play a vital role in boosting the national energy grid, supporting future industrial growth, and improving living standards by providing more reliable and affordable electricity to the population.

The Islamic Emirate has encouraged interested investors to submit their proposals directly to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, which is overseeing the investment drive. The move represents a significant effort by the Taliban government to attract foreign investment for large-scale infrastructure development amid ongoing international isolation and a severe economic crisis. (ILKHA)