The Taliban-appointed governor of Herat, Noor Ahmad Islamjar, says work on the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline project in the province will be completed within the next two months.
Speaking on Saturday (August 29) at the inauguration ceremony of the new administrative building of the Herat Chamber of Industries and Mines, Islamjar said work on the TAPI project is progressing rapidly. He urged industrialists and residents of Herat to make the necessary preparations for the distribution of gas to factories and households.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said in a statement that 145 kilometers of the project’s 153-kilometer route have been leveled and prepared. It added that 120 kilometers of pipeline have been laid, while 51 kilometers have been buried underground.
According to the ministry, 128 kilometers of roads have been constructed to facilitate monitoring of the pipeline, while trenches spanning 87 kilometers have been excavated for burying the pipeline.
The statement also said that, with assistance from Turkmenistan, the design of a gas distribution network in Herat has begun, with fieldwork on the network expected to start in the near future.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said construction of a 22-kilometer, 20-inch-diameter branch pipeline in Herat is also expected to begin soon. The pipeline is projected to have a gas distribution capacity of 8.8 million cubic meters per day, or 3.2 billion cubic meters annually.
According to the ministry, work on the TAPI project in Herat is expected to be completed and ready for operation by the end of 2026.
The TAPI pipeline has an annual gas transmission capacity of 33 billion cubic meters. Of this amount, 14 billion cubic meters is allocated to Pakistan, 14 billion cubic meters to India, and 5 billion cubic meters to Afghanistan.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
