TASHKENT (TCA) — South Korea’s KT Corporation and Uzbekistan’s national energy company Uzbekenergo are launching a pilot project to introduce an automated electricity metering control system in three regions of Uzbekistan, the Jahon information agency reports.
In the next few years, Uzbekistan will install nearly 6 million electricity meters throughout the country, as well as create a unified billing system and a consumer data base through loans from the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and Islamic Development Bank. The total cost of the project exceeds $800 million.
In particular, the Asian Development Bank allocated $150 million for the installation of 1 million electricity meters in three regions of the country — Bukhara, Jizzakh and Samarkand. The project’s total cost exceeds $200 million.
The South Korean company has won the tender for the installation of advanced meters in the abovementioned regions. Chinese company Shendzhen Kaifa was selected the main producer of meters, as it meets all the technical specifications requested by the Uzbek side.
In late August, the Chinese company was due to start supplies of metering equipment to Uzbekistan. It is planned to deliver about 25,000 meters. They will be distributed in three pilot areas — Karaulbazar, Yangiabad and Pastdargom districts. Their installation will be completed in September, and the first results of operation in Uzbekistan are expected in late November.
The first-ever pilot project on the introduction of an automated electricity metering control system is currently being implemented by Uzbekenergo in the Bektemir district of Tashkent. Advanced meters have been installed in 10,400 households.
The project implementation has proved the effectiveness of the new system. For example, about 4.5 million soums of electricity payments were collected daily prior to the introduction of the new system, and more than 12 million soums a day have been collected after its installation. The number of debtors has decreased from 6,111 to 1,478, and the debt itself decreased manifold, down to 441 million soums. In addition, electricity transportation losses decreased from 9.3% to 2%.
Over the past 15 years, the Uzbek population has increased electricity consumption by 35%. In 2000, the average monthly consumption per one family was 114 kWh and in 2015 it reached 160 kWh.
