EDF installs one lakh smart electricity metres in India

Global low-carbon electricity leader EDF said on Thursday it has successfully installed one lakh smart metres in India under a contract with Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), an energy service company under administration of Ministry of Power.

This is the first large-scale pre-paid smart metre solution to be deployed in India. The milestone marks completion of first stage of the contract and the beginning of commercial rollout of 50 lakh smart metres installation across India, nearly half of which will be installed in Bihar.

The contract was awarded to EDF (95 per cent) in association with Accenture Solutions India in 2019. It covers design of an advanced metering infrastructure, proper installation of 50 lakh smart metres across India, integration of smart metres with existing billing system of electricity distribution compes as well as operation and maintenance of the whole system for a period of six-and-a-half years.

"The achievement will enable the integration of an increasing volume of renewable energy into the network, thus supporting India's climate goals," EDF said in a statement.

"The large-scale implementation will positively impact distribution compes' balance sheet and give customers better control of their energy budget by allowing them to actively monitor and control their electricity consumption."

In January, the consortium led by EDF and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) was awarded the consulting mandate to plan India's global electricity grid including a technical and financial proposal for the 'One Sun One World One Grid' (OSOWOG) project.

OSOWOG is an electricity grid project that aims to transfer solar power produced in India across its borders and is an important part of India's push for renewables.

Harmanjit Nagi, Director of EDF India, said the country has always been a key market for its growth and presents immense potential in the smart metre space.

"Smart metres will empower customers to gain a higher degree of control over their electricity consumption and further enhance the resilience of network. They will also improve financial position of distribution compes by helping them contribute to the balance between production and consumption and ultimately help the economy and environment move towards sustainability."

By 2030, the Paris-based EDF Group aims to triple its global activity and double its renewable capacity. It generated consolidated sales of 69 billion euros in 2020.

( With inputs from ANI )