Bayat Power, a pioneer in Afghanistan’s independent power production sector, has reached a milestone in its endeavors to help develop the country, and today, August 23, the company successfully produced 1 billion kWh of electricity since commencing commercial operations in 2019.

Combining creative business vision, bold financing, innovative technology, and dedicated leadership, Bayat Power pioneered Afghanistan’s emerging, independent power production sector in 2019 with the focus on providing the nation with affordable, reliable, and environmentally sustainable electricity that is desperately needed to improve the lives of Afghanistan households, communities, and businesses.

According to the company’s chairman, Dr Ehsanullah Bayat, it is with “immense pride” that the company can announce this achievement of having produced 1 billion kWh of electricity.

“This remarkable achievement, marking the first natural gas-fired power plant in over forty years, is a testament to our beloved Afghanistan’s abundant natural gas resources.

“This monumental success would not have been possible without the relentless dedication of our hardworking team, the steadfast support of the esteemed leadership at Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat, the Ministry of Energy and Water, the General Directorate of Afghan Gas Corporation Company and the invaluable contributions of all related organizations and our valued supporters,” Dr Bayat said.

He went on to state that the company is “deeply grateful for its partnerships. Let us celebrate this significant milestone together and look forward to an even brighter future for Afghanistan.”

This latest milestone comes just a few months after Bayat Power was awarded the prestigious Asian Power Award for its groundbreaking gas-fired mobile power plant.

Considered a leading award for the power industry in Asia, the awards honor companies that have taken innovative and game-changing steps to address the effects of the climate crisis and meet the growing demand for energy.

From the outset, Bayat Power has tapped into Afghanistan’s abundant natural gas reserves to provide the people with a reliable supply of affordable and sustainable electricity.

In 2019, Bayat Power took a major step towards realizing their mission when they commenced the start of site work on Bayat Power-1’s 40MW gas-fired turbine, which achieved commercial operation later that year in Sheberghan.

The plant uses Siemens Energy’s SGT-A45 mobile gas turbine for its economic efficiency, flexible deployment, and power density.

The foundation of the project meanwhile is the executed Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with DABS in which DABS has agreed to purchase the power produced by Bayat Power.

Bayat Power’s CEO Ali Kasemi also remarked on the company’s phenomenal achievement of having produced 1 billion kWh of electricity in only a few years.

He said this achievement was testimony to the hard work and tenacity of Afghans in their quest for energy security.

Kasemi said it is an extremely proud moment for Bayat Power as it relentlessly continues to help improve the lives of Afghans across the country, enabling students to study at night, allowing health workers to provide critical services 24/7, supporting factory production, and lighting up cities, streets, mosques, and homes nationwide.

“We set out to relaunch a critical sector and prove that independent power producers can convert natural gas into electricity and bring light and warmth to Afghanistan and its people,” he said.

Bayat Power was established in 2013 and with its visionary and innovative leadership, the company is establishing the foundations of an emerging independent power producing sector in Afghanistan.

Currently providing electricity to hundreds of thousands of end-users and generating more than 300 million kWh annually, the project was structured as an innovative public-private partnership between Bayat Power, Siemens Energy, and Afghanistan government entities such as the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, the Ministry of Energy and Water, and the General Directorate of Afghan Gas Corporation Company, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), and other international partners.

Dr Bayat meanwhile said: “We are committed to continue investing in Afghanistan’s energy sector to boost new industries, create jobs and train a new generation of Afghan engineers and technical specialists, who will help unlock the country’s vast energy potential.”

Kasemi in turn pointed out that “right now, Afghanistan is ripe for investment and has not seen this level of peace and security in many, many decades,” adding that “it is a great time to join us in investing there, especially in the energy sector as Afghanistan has vast amounts of resources.”

The Bayat Group is the largest private investor in Afghanistan and Bayat Power is currently the only gas-powered plant in Afghanistan and the Siemens Energy’s SGT-A45 mobile gas turbine used by the company is the only one in operation in the world.

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