DUSHANBE, December 11, 2008, Asia-Plus — A new lab for testing electronic and induction electricity meters was opened in Dushanbe on Wednesday, according to Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding.
Nozir Yodgori, a spokesman for Barqi Tojik, said that the lab provided with up=to-date equipment had been set up at the Dushanbe energy sales department in the frames of the Energy Loss Reduction Project (ELRP), which is co-funded by the World Bank and the Swiss Government through its State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
According to him, the lab was purchased by Barqi Tojik from China. However, he refrained from naming the lab cost.
In the meantime, replacement of induction electricity meters with the electronic is under way in Dushanbe. Barqi Tojik said that electronic electricity meters would be installed both in private houses and apartment buildings. There more than 160,000 residential customers in Dushanbe.
We will recall that Chinese company has been granted a contract on providing the electronic electricity meters. The new electronic meters are installed free of charge, at the expense of the Tajik power holding and donors that are co-financing the project. The work on installation of the electronic meters in Dushanbe is supposed to be finished in December 2009.
The ELPR, designed for 2007-2011, was developed by the World Bank jointly with the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI) and aims at creating a solid economic basis for both the electricity and gas sectors. WB provided the Tajik government with a total of US$ 18 millions, divided into a credit of US$ 15 millions and a grant of US$ 3 millions. Upon request of the Tajik government, the Swiss government co-financed the ELRP with a grant of US$ 8 millions through SECO.
