Power Outages Hit Afghanistan as Turkmenistan Faces Grid Malfunction

A technical issue with Turkmenistan’s electricity grid has resulted in the suspension of electricity imports to several provinces in Afghanistan, creating significant disruptions for local residents.

Power Cut in Afghanistan Due to Turkmenistan’s Grid Issue

A technical malfunction in Turkmenistan’s electricity network has led to the suspension of power imports to multiple provinces in Afghanistan. Reports indicate that starting Sunday evening, electricity has been completely cut off in the provinces of Faryab, Badghis, Herat, and parts of Samangan and Baghlan.

The Afghan power company, Breshna, under Taliban control, announced this news on Monday, September 9, via social media platform X. Residents in these areas have expressed their dissatisfaction with the current situation, confirming that the power outage has caused numerous hardships.

Challenges Arising from the Power Outage

A resident of Herat, wishing to remain anonymous, stated in an interview: “In Herat, electricity only comes on for half an hour intermittently. On Sunday, the power was entirely off, and now it is only provided for very short intervals.” Another individual commented to Radio Azadi: “In our area, we have become accustomed to the steady flow of electricity, but this outage has created many problems, affecting not just homes, but also the operations of hospitals and businesses.”

Cause of the Power Failure in Turkmenistan

Reports indicate that on Sunday, Turkmenistan experienced a nationwide blackout lasting several hours. According to unnamed sources, the cause of this widespread outage was an explosion at Turkmenistan’s largest power plant, Mary GERAS. However, Turkmen officials have not provided any official information regarding the cause of this extensive power failure.

Efforts to Restore Electricity

Breshna has announced that efforts are underway to resolve the issue and restore electricity imports from Turkmenistan; however, a specific timeline for the resumption of power to the affected areas remains unclear. Afghanistan relies heavily on electricity imports from neighboring countries, and this incident is part of a broader pattern of disruptions within the Afghan power network.

Under an agreement established in 2017 between Turkmenistan and the previous Afghan government, it was stipulated that Turkmenistan would export approximately 700 million kilowatt-hours of electricity to Afghanistan annually. This agreement was renewed following the Taliban’s return to power, and the contract for purchasing electricity from Turkmenistan is expected to continue in the coming years.