Afghanistan's North East Power System Phase III: USACEs Mismanagement Resulted in a System that Is Not Permanently Connected to a Power Source, Has Not Been Fully Tested, and May Not Be Safe to Operate
Abstract
The North East Power System (NEPS) is intended to expand the high-voltage power system in Afghanistan, provide electricity to unserved population centers, and support a national grid by providing a cost effective, reliable system to distribute electric power to areas in northeastAfghanistan, such as Kapisa and Parwan provinces. NEPS consists of four phases. This report focuses on phase III, also referred to as NEPS III. According to the Afghan Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW), NEPS III will provide electricity to more than one million Afghans whencompleted, tested, and commissioned. On September 27, 2013, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) awarded a $116 million firm-fixed-priced contract to Zwakman Nabizai Construction Company (ZNCC), an Afghan company, to design and construct NEPS phases II and III. U.S.ForcesAfghanistan (USFORA) funded the contract through the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund. About $59.7 million was allocated to phase III to design and construct 5.6 miles of 220-kilovolt power transmission lines from the Charikar substation in Parwan province to Gulbahar in Kapisa province; 26.1 miles of 110- kilovolt power transmission lines from Gulbahar to Nejrab, both in Kapisa province; and a new power substation in Gulbahar to connect both sets of transmission lines. For this inspection, SIGAR visited the Gulbahar substation and 18 of the 182transmission towers between the Charikar and Nejrab substations. The objectives of this inspection were to determine the extent to which NEPS III (1) has been completed, (2) is structurally sound, and (3) is safe for potential occupants.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1139416
Entities
People
- Abdul R. Rashid
- Chelsea Cowan
- Javed Khairandish
- Robert Rivas
- Steven Haughton
- Yogin Rawal
Organizations
- Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction