The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a combined sovereign and non-sovereign loan of $190 million to modernise and upgrade the power distribution system in Bengaluru city in the state of Karnataka.
The ADB assistance for the Bengaluru Smart Energy Efficient Power Distribution Project includes a $100 million sovereign loan and a $90 million without sovereign guarantee loan to Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM). The project will convert 7,200 km of overhead distribution lines to underground cables with parallel installation of 2,800 km of fiber optic communication cables. The fiber optic cables will be used for smart metering systems, distribution automation system (DAS) in the distribution grid, and other communication networks. The project will install 1,700 automated ring main units adapted with a DAS to monitor and control the distribution line switchgears from the control center.