Distribution network operator DEDDIE/HEDNO is preparing to launch a latest tender, possibly within the next month, for the procurement and installation of 7.5 million smart power meters to replace conventional meters around the county.

The tender will also include a contract for the development of a telemetric center covering the entire country, sources informed.

Over the past decade or so, DEDDIE/HEDNO and parent company PPC, the power utility, have announced a series of tenders for the procurement and installation of smart meters, ultimately to no avail. They have either not taken place or not been completed.

The overall project, budgeted at 850 million euros, will mainly be funded through the recovery fund. The energy ministry has included the project with this fund.

DEDDIE/HEDNO and PPC are seeking to gain from various benefits offered by smart meters, including big cost savings for the corporate group, and added value to the operator’s facilities and distribution network ahead of a privatization planned by the government to offer a 49 percent stake.

The installation of smart meters also promises to help combat electricity theft and increase electricity market competition by enabling suppliers to charge customers based on real-time conditions with prices reflecting production and supply costs.