How will the ADB help Electricidade de Timor-Leste?

In Southeast Asia, Electricidade de Timor-Leste has secured funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to modernise its grid network with smart meters and smart grid technologies. The utility will use a $35 million loan from the ADB to ensure its grid network is resilient enough to power consumers in 12 municipalities.

How many smart meters will be installed in a power distribution modernisation project?

Some 140,000 smart meters and a distribution automation system will be installed as part of the power distribution modernisation project. The smart meters will enable the utility to leverage energy prepayment to ensure consumers are accurately billed and to reduce non-revenue electricity.

Do Rural Households use electricity in Timor-Leste?

Stakeholder responses and anecdotal observations of rural households in Timor-Leste revealed that lighting, mobile phone charging, television, and radio dominate electricity use with limited adoption in agriculture-related activities. According to respondents, some farming groups operated small diesel generators for rice milling.

What is erigrid - European research infrastructure supporting smart grid systems?

Developing an integrated research infrastructure for smart grid systems is the target of the EU-funded ERIGrid - European Research Infrastructure supporting Smart Grid Systems Technology Development, Validation and Roll Out - project.

How do smart meters work in rural areas?

Since 2022, a distribution modernisation project has seen EDTL gradually introduce smart meters to these households . In rural areas, these operate through a pre-payment system. Some household respondents in a rural community stated that they needed to travel to their closest town to purchase pre-paid cards.

Does Timor-Leste's agriculture suffer from high post-harvest storage losses?

Additionally, respondents stated that Timor-Leste's agriculture suffered from high post-harvest storage losses from pests and contamination, also discussed by Bonis-Profumo et al. . Interviewed stakeholders suggested this could be improved through greater use of refrigeration systems utilising the electricity grid.