At least six companies considering to submit offers to an international tender for the supply and installation of 210,000 digital electricity consumption meters in various parts of the country have requested yet another deadline extension to the procedure, according to HEDNO, the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator – locally known as DEDDIE.

If implemented, the deadline extension would be the sixth offered. The current deadline expires on May 11.

HEDNO, a subsidiary firm of power utility PPC, recently underwent a leadership change. Its new boss, Nikolaos Hatziargyriou, appointed to his post just one week ago, may decide to extend the deadline, which would provide him with additional time to examine the tender’s details.

Companies seeking yet another deadline extension contend they need more time to resolve technical issues that continue to exist, despite a number of revisions made to the tender’s technical prerequisites. The country’s wider climate of uncertainty linked to whether the Greek government and the country’s creditor representatives will reach a new bailout agreement could also be a factor in the extension requests made.

The tender, planned to launch a pilot program for the purchase and installation of 170,000 digital electricity meters, nationwide, followed by an additional round that would bring the sum up to 210,000, is budgeted at 85 million euros, of which 45 million euros concern its first stage.