MAZAR-I-SHARIF: Local officials said four projects to produce electricity from municipal waste in northern Balkh province would be launched soon.
A group of energy officials shared their work plan of the projects with the private sector and representatives of some foreign organizations during a meeting at the governor’s house today.
The group formed of government officials and private sector has been active working on the projects from the past four years in Balkh.
Zabihullah Akhtari, the sectoral and technical director at the governor’s house, told Pajhwok Afghan News the group had been working over the past four years to find ways how to produce energy from waste without contaminating the environment.
He said the government had approved the four projects for Balkh province as a result of efforts by the energy group.
The four plants would produce 6,000 kilowatts of electricity from garbage being collected from Mazar-i-Sharif city, the provincial capital, Akhtari said.
He did not provide information about the cost on the projects but said the schemes would be launched after bidding among private sector firms.
Akhtari said three other projects producing 500 kilowatts of energy from Sholgar, Kashandi and Zari districts waters had also been approved by the government and would be launched.
Extending electricity form Mazar-i-Sharif to the three districts was expensive and difficult, but the power shortage would be resolved with completion of the proposed projects, he added.
Robert Delger, head of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), who participated in the meeting, appreciated the performance of the energy group and told Pajhwok Afghan News several sources of energy were available in Balkh.
He said GIZ was committed to supporting the group and finding budget for producing energy in the province.
