USAID's Power Transmission Expansion and Connectivity Project in Afghanistan: The Ghazni and Sayedabad Substations are Complete, but Construction Deficiencies Create Safety Hazards and Could Disrupt Electrical Power
Abstract
On December 5, 2012, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) issued an implementation letter for the Power Transmission Expansion and Connectivity (PTEC) project in Afghanistan. Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), the Afghan governments electrical utility, isresponsible for implementing PTEC in collaboration with the Afghan Ministry of Finance. PTECs main objective is to connect Kabuls and Kandahars respective power grids by building new transmission lines and substations. USAID expects that the new infrastructure will transmit excess power southward from Kabul to supply power for 2.4 million Afghans. On March 26, 2014, as part of PTECs energy infrastructure construction component, DABS awarded KEC International Limited (KEC), an Indian company, a $46.1 million design-build contract to construct electrical substations in Ghazni and Sayedabad. As a result of two contract modifications, the projects completion date was extended from December 31, 2016, to August 31, 2017. USAID also contracted with Tetra Tech Inc. to provide project management,engineering support, and quality assurance services for the project. KEC completed the project on August 31, 2017. The objectives of this inspection were to determine whether the PTEC electrical power substations in Ghazni and Sayedabad (1) were constructed in accordance with contract requirements and applicable construction standards, and (2) are being used and maintained.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1104688