The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide $430m funding to rehabilitate power distribution networks in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
According to ADB, the multi-tranche financing facility (MFF) will help to improve the quality and reliability of electricity supply in the state.
The Uttar Pradesh Power Distribution Network Rehabilitation Project helps to improve efficiency and sustainability of power supply in Uttar Pradesh.
It will fund the conversion of 65,000km of rural low-voltage distribution lines to aerial bundle conductors from bare conductors to benefit approximately 70 millions of people in 46,000 rural villages.
The project will also provide funding for the construction of a parallel network of 11kV feeders with a total length of 17,000km to split electricity distribution between residential consumers and agriculture consumers.
It is expected to enable the use of solar energy to meet the agriculture demand, increase in electricity supply duration to rural residential consumers, and energy and water conservation.
ADB South Asia principal energy specialist Pradeep Perera said: “Reliable and sustainable power distribution and service is an important aspect to India’s growth and development.
“This project fully supports the government of India’s vision of ‘Power for All’ in a sustainable and inclusive way in the largest and one of the poorest states in India.
“Existing rural power distribution networks will be upgraded to enable the provision of reliable supply to customers in rural Uttar Pradesh in a financially sustainable manner.”