Serbia: Power utility EPS announced a tender for procurement of smart meters

Published on 22. December 2014., News Serbia Energy

Electric Power Company of Serbia (EPS) has announced an international tender for the purchase of electric meters with remote reading, which will be funded from part of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

According to data from the EBRD website (www.ebrd.com), procurement of IT and measurement infrastructure, in addition to smart meters, also will include the delivery of hardware and software, communications devices, applications and services for system integration and training.

The tender will be open until March 3rd, 2015th. EBRD and the European Investment Bank (EIB) approved to EPS the loans of 40 MEUR for the project.

The tender’s conditions are that the bidder has a good financial position over the past five years and long-term profitability, the average annual turnover over the last five years of at least 75 MEUR and to have access or to have funds of at least 25 MEUR.

Bidders must be successful in the execution of at least one similar contract for electricity meters with remote reading, which has been in operation in the European market, with at least 100,000 meters, as well as systems for managing and storing the read data (MDM / R) with at least 200,000 of delivery and the provision of similar services in the past five years.

To qualify for the contract award the bidders must have the factories that produce the spectrum of electric meters for electricity with remote reading, to have at least five years of experience, and annual production of at least 250,000 pieces.

All bids must include a bid bond in the amount of 1.8 MEUR, according to the tender.

The most modern measurement systems, where “smart meters” are only one of the system’s segments, should improve the quality of customer service, enable remote recording and reading of consumption without people impact , as well as remote customers’ break-in and out, and spending control, by which will be solved the problem of electricity theft.

According to earlier information from EPS, it is planned the procurement of approximately 250,000 meters for households and 7,000 measuring systems for large consumers.

There are about 3.5 million meters, of which 3.1 million in households and about 400,000 are industrial consumers.