Smart meters are a key step in the deployment of a smart grid. India plans to install more than 250 million smart meters as part of its national smart meter programme. French-Indian cooperation has enabled a pilot deployment in the state of Bihar and the first feedback was given during the Webinar on “Building A Secure And Efficient Advanced Metering Infrastructure” An Indo-French Journey held on 8th July, 2021.
An Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is essential for the successful transition to a sustainable, low-carbon energy mix. It contributes to an optimal management of the electricity network, a significant reduction of technical and non-technical losses, and supports the integration of intermittent renewable energies and the deployment of electric vehicles.
Both India and France have launched ambitious programmes to develop smart grids in their territories. In France, 35 million Linky meters will be deployed by the end of 2021, concluding a six-year programme with a budget of €5 billion. In India, the Smart Meter National Programme aims to install more than 250 million smart meters over the next few years, making it one of the largest deployment programmes in the world.
Following a tender won by EDF International Networks and launched by the Indian utility Energy Efficiency Services Limited, 100,000 smart meters have already been installed in the state of Bihar by the end of 2020, with a further 5 million expected to be installed in the coming years.
Last month, a webinar was organized by Think Smartgrids and its partner the India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) to discuss the deployment of an advanced metering infrastructure and the French-Indian cooperation behind the project, featuring the Indian Minister of Energy, the French Ambassador to India and the French government, through the Directorate General for Energy and Climate (DGEC). Based on the experience of the Linky smart meter deployment in France, the expected benefits were numerous: smart meters allow remote operations from the DSO, detection of anomalies and frauds, reduce technical losses, facilitate the identification of flexibility levers and optimize the use of the existing grid as well as the use of energy by the consumers.
Several feedbacks on the deployment in the state of Bihar, a pilot region, were presented by EDF international, Intellismart, Schneider electric, Accenture and Sagemcom. On top of the above-mentioned benefits, the deployment of smart meters in Bihar has led to an increased use of renewable energy and has improved energy efficiency, which will in turn reduce carbon emissions of the electricity consumed. The speakers also discussed the impact of smart meters on the overall digitalisation of the electricity network, the overall feasibility of smart metering in India, and the key success factors for their large-scale deployment.
Finally, Atos and Thales Asia discussed the value of meter data and the robustness of technical solutions to meet cybersecurity challenges, two key issues for an efficient and durable advanced metering infrastructure.
> View the replay
The Speakers:
- Olivier Grabette, VP in charge of european industrialization at RTE (French TSO)
- H. E. Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India
- Shri Alok Kumar (IAS), Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India
- Coralie Ruffenach, Head of the Power System, Programming and Networks Office at the French Directorate General of Energy and Climate (DGEC) ;
- Anil Rawal, Managing Director of IntelliSmart
- Akshat Mishra, India PMO Lead, EDF IN India
- Amit Kumar, VP & Business Unit Head, Metering & Protection Systems- Schneider Electric India
- Yogesh Dhond, Senior Manager, Accenture
- Nabil Sahri, VP of Business Development, Sagemcom
- Régis Hourdouillie, Global Head of Portfolio and Consulting – Energy and Utilities, Atos
- Gajraj Singh Mohil – Vice-President Sales – IOT Asia, Thales
- Reji Kumar Pillai, President, ISGF
Moderator: Thomas Bazin, Schneider Electric, chair of Think Smartgrids’ International Commission