Arlington, VA – Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a grant to JSC “Uzsuvtaminot” (UST), Uzbekistan’s national water company, for a pilot project to enhance the country’s water security. The project will test how “digital twin” technology can be utilized across UST’s distribution network for remote monitoring, leakage identification, and demand forecasting. UST selected California-based Nobel Systems, Inc. to carry out the pilot.
“USTDA facilitates the deployment of the most innovative U.S. technologies to the infrastructure needs of our overseas partners,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Director. “In Uzbekistan, our collaboration with the Asian Development Bank will enhance the likelihood of this project’s success and have a lasting impact on the country’s water resilience.”
“We are honored to be a recipient of a USTDA grant to implement digital twin technology across our water networks,” said Sakhib Saifnazarov, Chairman of UST. “This system will allow UST personnel to manage and monitor network performance in real-time, bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds to deliver clean and safe water to the community.”
Digital twin technology will provide UST with a virtual representation of its water distribution infrastructure. The technology will replicate real-world network conditions and events as they unfold, as well as automate all water supply and sewer services business processes.
USTDA’s pilot project will be deployed in the cities of Chirchik and Djizzak and serve as a template for replication across Uzbekistan. A potential source of implementation financing for the project is the Asian Development Bank’s Integrated Urban Development Project.
Project Specialist at the ADB, Doniyor Mukhammadaliyev, said: “ADB funded an initial, smaller-scale pilot of the digital twin model in Chirchik. USTDA’s engagement will scale up the project and allow ADB to consider a larger-scale implementation across Uzbekistan. Our collaboration with USTDA is one we intend to replicate in other markets across Asia.”
President and Chief Executive Officer of Nobel Systems, Michael Samuel, said: “We are deeply grateful for USTDA’s support and honored to be providing these services to UST. The goal is to build upon the successes of a GIS system, evaluate present conditions, assess industry trends, and collaborate with other communities to encourage and promote data sharing to drive better decision-making around the delivery of safe and clean water.”
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
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