The Distribution Network Digital Transformation and Resiliency Project was approved by the Board on 20 September 2023. The $200 million loan will help Uzbekistan’s power system reduce losses, enhance reliability of supply, and improve energy efficiency.
The project will upgrade 26 distribution substations into digital substations that will also be equipped with a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. It is designed to be adaptive to climate changes through the digital protection relays and climate proofing features that will enhance the substations’ operational reliability and reduce the risks of disruptions and outages caused by disasters and extreme weather.
And with the greater control and management of dispatch, the network will be ready and equipped to integrate variable renewable energy sources of energy. Uzbekistan plans to add 17 gigawatts of capacity (GW), 8GW of which would be coming from renewables. The project is led by Seung Duck Kim from the Energy Sector Office’s Central West and East Asia Team.