DUSHANBE, December 4, 2014, Asia-Plus -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $54 million grant to improve the electricity supply to households and industry in Tajikistan.

According to the ADB Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM), the project aims to reduce energy losses through metering entire high- and medium-voltage transmission grid and expand transmission capacity in Panjakent district, Sughd province.

“Investments in loss reduction are a priority for the energy sector,” said Levan Mtchedlishvili, Senior Energy Specialist at ADB''s Central and West Asia Department.  “And this project will enable Barqi Tojik to account for all electricity flows and associated costs. It will quantify technical and nontechnical losses at the wholesale level of the entire grid.”

The project will install about 1,100 wholesale electricity meters, current and voltage transformers and a settlement system.  It will also build a new 95 kilometer transmission line connecting Roudaki and Ayni substations.  The investment will also support ongoing restructuring of Barqi Tojik to improve its operational efficiency.

The Government of Tajikistan and Barqi Tojik will provide counterpart funding of $13 million. Barqi Tojik will be the executing agency for the project, which is due for completion in 2020.

ADB is the largest multilateral development partner in Tajikistan’s energy sector.  Total ADB energy approvals have reached $430 million.  ADB projects focus on modernization of transmission and distribution facilities and sector restructuring and reforms.

Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998 and, to date, ADB has approved total assistance of around $1.3 billion in concessional loans, grants, and technical assistance to the country.  The ADB-Tajikistan partnership has promoted social development, upgraded and built new infrastructure, expanded agricultural production, and encouraged regional cooperation and trade under the CAREC Program.

ADB, based in Manila, dedicates itself to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.  Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the Asia-Pacific region. In 2013, ADB assistance totaled $21.0 billion, including cofinancing of $6.6 billion.