Renewable Energy-RESAP

The IAM Renewable Energy Sources in Afghanistan Project (RESAP) works in three different provinces, Badakhshan, Kabul, and Faryab.

• The Renewable Energy Sources in Badakhshan has the goal of providing electricity for lighting and small appliances in the many remote districts and valleys of Badakhshan province. Since the provincial government is still struggling to supply the main district centres with electric power, RESAP is often the only option for small villages to receive electricity in the near future. Together with the village community, RESAP implements small hydro-power plants that are specifically designed to be easily operable and maintainable by the community itself. The year 2012 was a slow year for RESAP due to a very late spring which delayed the start of the building season by several months. Because of this, only two projects were completed this year, while five others were still under construction in more remote districts in December. Since the winter has been mild, it is expected that the remaining projects will be finished in early 2013. Also in 2012, more remote districts have opened up to RESAP’s work. One project was implemented in the Wakhan corridor, and five were started in a district in the north of the province on the border of Tajikistan. To reach these remote areas, RESAP staff needs to either travel on foot for several days, or get a Tajik visa to cross the border and benefit from the roads in Tajikistan. Even with a visa, traveling is still at least three days.
• In 2012, in Kabul they completed 11 micro hydro projects. These projects reached a total of 490 families. RESAP Kabul also produced 20 solar water heaters for 20 families. Because of their success, there are plans to continue to make solar water heaters in 2013. RESAP Kabul is happy to see positive results and beneficial outputs form the completion of projects.
• In Faryab Province during 2012, the RESAP, continued quite smoothly. When the usual spring floods passed, work was started in eight locations. Only one village hesitated because of the high portion of required contribution. The villagers there asked for some time to reflect on it. But all the other communities kept on working at a good pace and in July two local installers from the area implemented most of the turbines and penstocks with only a little help by an experienced technician from Charikar. After having waited for a long time, the ninth project was finally moved to another site. It was already quite late to start construction work, but the men at this new location were motivated and the work progressed well. Despite deteriorating security in autumn it was possible to complete and start up all the projects in good time. Since beginning of August 2012 no IAM expatriates are located in Faryab, however, the national staff there did an excellent job on their own. The plan for 2013 is to install about the same number of micro hydro installations as were completed in 2012.