Uzbekistan plans to attract $104 million credit from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the modernization of electricity accounting system in five regions of the country, a representative of the State Joint-Stock Company (SJSC) Uzbekenergo told Trend on Friday.

The credit is planned to be used for the modernization of electricity accounting system in Andijan, Namangan, Ferghana, Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya provinces.

According to the interlocutor of the agency, currently the preliminary consent of the bank's management for credit granting has been received. A negotiation process between the Uzbek government and ADB, in which the project's details and credit granting conditions are discussed, are being carried out.

It is estimated that the project will cost about $ 218 million. With the credits of ADB it is planned to purchase and install the automated system of monitoring and accounting of electricity and 2.6 million units of electricity accounting devices for the consumers of 0.4 kW networks.

Uzbekistan will allocate $114 million for the implementation of this project.

In September 2011, ADB provided a $150 million credit to Uzbekistan for the modernization of electricity accounting system in Bukhara, Jizzakh and Samarkand provinces.

The project, worth $200 million provides for the purchase and installation of one million units of electricity accounting in the 0.4 kW consumer networks in these three provinces of the country.

The credit is allocated from the ordinary resources of the bank for 25 years, including a five-year grace period.

Funding of the project in addition to the ADB credits is funded by the Government of Uzbekistan in the amount of $50 million.

It was earlier reported that the State Joint-Stock Company Uzbekenergo - the national power network operator of Uzbekistan, implements a program on modernization of the accounting system of electricity, worth about $ 800 million.

In total, it is planned to install 4.5 million electricity accounting devices for consumers in the 0.4 kW networks throughout the country.

According to calculations, the program's realization will allow to reach the energy economy in the residential sector in the amount of 2.75 billion kWh and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1,935 million tons annually.

According to official statistics, in 2012 Uzbekistan increased the production of electricity by 0.2 percent in comparison with 2011 - up to 52.534 billion kilowatt-hours.