Integrating renewable energies into the grid

The existing electricity grid in Afghanistan is split into three separated grids. Accordingly, the transmission system is fragmented, consisting of isolated grids supplied by different types of power plants and different import sources. The current system is deficient in many respects including geographic coverage, flexibility and adequacy. At the same time, the cost of domestic power supply is high. Only about 30% of households in Afghanistan receive their power from the grid.

Afghanistan is a mountainous country with more than 50% of its entire landmass at an elevation higher than 2,000 meters. This terrain is a major challenge to manage a central electric grid system that provides electricity to all the communities of this country. According to data from the Afghan national electricity company DABS (Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat), more than 50% of the population (over 19 million) has no access to the electric grid. Although the government had planned to invest in a central grid system, high expenses and mountainous terrain of the country are obstacles. The current transmission system is fragmented and consisting of isolated grids supplied by different power generating technologies.

For Afghanistan’s growing electricity demand, a central grid will play a vital role as gross demand will increase by 6% to 9% per year on average from its current level to around 18,400 GWh which accounts to a needed supply of 3,500 MW installed capacity in 2032.

In 2012, there was around 520 MW installed capacity for electricity generation which accounts to about 3,086 GWh. The current power supply system is deficient in many aspects incl. geographic coverage, flexibility, adequacy and cost. This results in a high dependency of electricity imports from neighboring countries, supplemented by domestic production such as electricity from Afghan hydropower plants. Currently, there is a significant gap between supply and demand and this gap is widening day by day. As one way of addressing this issue, the government of Afghanistan is launching small and larger projects using photovoltaics (PV) to help meeting the electricity requirements of the country. The Renewable Energy Policy (RENP) has set a target for deploying 4,500-5,000 MW of renewable energy capacities by 2032. The government’s analysis determined the best option to provide energy was through using renewable sources and developing a decentralized grid system that allows more flexibility and can provide electricity even in most remote areas. The electric source for such a decentralized solution can also be changed based on community needs and the geological location.