Project implementation agency PFC Consulting Ltd is soon planning to open financial bids of technically-qualified bidders for a smart metering project in Puducherry.
According to information available with T&D India from official sources, PFCCL has technically qualified seven bidders for the purpose of opening of financial bids, which is scheduled to take place on January 19, 2024.
The eight qualified entities are:
- Genus Power Infrastructures Pvt Ltd
- EDF India Pvt Ltd
- IntelliSmart Infrastructure Pvt Ltd
- Tata Power Company Ltd
- Adani Transmission Ltd in consortium with Fluentgrid Ltd
- Apraava Energy Pvt Ltd in consortium with BCITS Pvt Ltd
- Nsure Reliable Power Solutions Pvt Ltd and Iskrameco India Pvt Ltd
The selected bidder will act as the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Provider (AMISP) for a smart metering project in Puducherry, under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
The project essentially aims at installing 4.07 lakh smart meters covering all the four regions of Puducherry. Most of these meters (around 85 per cent) will be single-phase consumer meters. The remainder would include three-phase consumer meters, feeder meters and distribution transformer (DT) meters.
The smart meters will be of prepayment type by default mode but would include post-payment facility in certain cases.
The project is expected to be completed within 10 months from the date of signing of the formal contract between PFCCL and the incumbent AMISP.
The Union territory of Puducherry is geographically spread over four non-contiguous areas in three states – Puducherry and Karaikal (both in Tamil Nadu), Yaman (Andhra Pradesh) and Mahe (Kerala). Electricity Department, UT of Puducherry of is the power distribution utility in the UT and caters to around 4.34 lakh consumers, nearly three-fourth of which are in Puducherry area. Around 58 per cent of the total electricity consumers are in urban areas.
Currently, the UT of Puducherry has 4.03 lakh electronic meters apart from a small number of mechanical (analog) meters and unmetered connections. It is interesting to note that a smart grid pilot project was initiated in UT of Puducherry (covering only the Puducherry and Karaikal regions) under the National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM). Under this, a total of 31,444 smart meters were installed and are currently operational.
All-India Status
As of around December 27, 2023, a total of 22.23 crore consumer smart meters were sanctioned under the RDSS, across the country. Of these, tenders for 9.87 crore meters were finalized and the actual installation, as of given date, was around 80 lakh meters.
Featured photograph (source: HPL Electric & Power Ltd) is for representation only
