Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) has enabled electricity distribution companies (discoms) to achieve around 95 per cent billing efficiency by using smart meters amid this lockdown, a release from EESL said. smart meters also helped realize a 15-20 per cent average increase in monthly revenue per consumer.
The Board of the Investment Manager of IndiGrid, India’s first InvIT in the power sector, has approved the acquisition of Gurgaon Palwal Transmission Ltd (“GPTL”) from Sterlite Power, at a value of up to Rs.10.80 billion (US$ 140 million). This acquisition would increase the AUM of IndiGrid by 10 per cent to US$ 1.75 billion.
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) on April 3, 2020, ordered reduction in late payment surcharge (LPS) payable by discoms to generation and transmission companies to 1 per cent per month from the earlier 1.5 per cent, for delayed clearance of dues. The move comes in the wake of the Coronavirus lockdown.
Sterlite Power announced that it is joining hands with GE T&D India Ltd, Unitech Power Transmission Ltd. (UPTL), Tata Projects Ltd (TPL) and Associate Power Structures Pvt. Ltd (APSPL). This partnership will implement OEM & EPC solutions in the execution of its Green Energy Corridor (GEC) project – Lakadia Vadodara Transmission Project Ltd.
India Grid Trust (“IndiGrid”), India’s leading infrastructure investment trust, has announced the acquisition of another transmission asset, East North Interconnection Company Ltd (ENICL), from Sterlite Power at a value of $134 million. With this acquisition, IndiGrid’s AUM will increase by 10 per cent to around $1.6 billion. IndiGrid’s asset portfolio will increase to nine power transmission projects, with a total network of 20 power transmission lines spanning across more than 5,800 ckm across 13 Indian states.
In line with the Central government’s plan of having 25 crore prepaid smart electricity meters over the next three years, several state government power distribution utilities have begun gearing themselves to replace conventional (analog) meters with smart meters, observed Gautam Seth, Joint Managing Director, HPL Electric & Power Ltd. He was quoted in a press statement announcing the company’s financial results for the nine months ending December 31, 2019.