New smart grid will not be installed this year in Serbia, as it was planned.
Electric power of Serbia was already granted a loan of 80mil euro from EBRD for first phase installation of 250.000 modern units in five municipalities. EPS is now thinking to expand the project. For this reason new tender public invitation is open for financing the project expansion.
Smart grid technology was planed to be installed in cities of Novi Pazar, Vrbas, Krnjaca, Velika Plana and Vranje because EPS and its DSO companies in this areas have the biggest losses. For this pilot project EIB and EBRD in 2010 granted to EPS a credit loans of two times 40 mil euros.
The plan was to start the replacement of old meters and to install the new ones, this would allow remote metering and control and electricity losses and steal would be cut.
The complete financial construction of the project will be changed now as EPS is looking to expand the number of meters, stated EPS spokesman. This requires that EPS with EIB and EBRD redefines the tender but also EPS has to seek for additional funding. Once this adjustments are completed EPS will be in position to determine the starting date of the installation of new meters.
Total losses and electricity stolen quantities reach every year almost 60mil euro. EPS can not finance the smart metering project modernization, but in the same expects that return of investment within 6 years.
Once the tender changes and additional adjustments are completed EPS will be in position to announce the total value of the project. Some rough estimations, from energy experts with whom Serbia Energy magazine spoke, is that for replacement of 3,5 mil smart meters in Serbia it will take ten years and billion euro investment.
The project itself attracted big interest and attention of great number of companies from all over world. Also local partners were one of the targets of the interested companies.
One of the local companies who did DSO energy market report assessment related to this project confirmed to us that the project raised the interest and brought many European and Asian companies, all preparing for this project.
Source Serbia-energy.com