The Asian Development Bank and the Canadian Climate Fund for the Private Sector are providing $7.85 million loan to a Turkish company to complete work on a 15.1-megawatt solar power plant in the southern province of Kandahar.

Turkey’s 77 Group, a Turkish construction firm, has invested $12 million in the project which will be completed in the near future. The loan provided by the ADB and the Canadian organization will be spent on maintenance of the plant, as well.

“Canada is proud to be part of this effort to help Afghanistan build its solar power potential,” said Canadian Ambassador to Afghanistan, Dave Metcalfe. “Canada’s support for clean energy investment is designed to ultimately provide benefits to vulnerable communities, in particular women and girls.”

“Access to reliable energy sources can help Afghanistan reach its growth and development prospects,” the ADB Country Director for Afghanistan, Samuel Tumiwa said.

The Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat, the country’s power distributor firm, said it has started the pilot phase of power distribution from the solar power plant, the head of the firm, Amanullah Ghalib said.

“The project will supply power to industrial parks. The power plant is already operational in a pilot phase and it generates power for industrial parks in Shor Andam and commercial centers,” said Wahidullah Tawhidi, DABS spokesman.

“We have five industrial zones in Afghanistan; Kandahar is one of these zones in the south. Regrettably, factories in this province face severe power shortage,” said Mohammad Shabeer Bashiri, CEO of Investors and Industrialists Union.