Four entrants make 2nd round of HEDNO smart meters tender

Electricity distribution network operator DEDDIE/HEDNO has shortlisted four of seven first-round participants in a tender offering a lucrative contract for the installation of approximately 7.5 million smart throughout the country, to replace the existing analog meters.

An additional contestant could be added to the list of second-round qualifiers if Swiss company Landis+Gyr is vindicated in a legal case it filed following its failure to reach the second round. A verdict is expected within the next three to four months.

The four bidder through to the tender’s second round are: Itron Spain SLU, the Spanish subsidiary of leading American meters producer Itron, joined by Spain’s ZIV Aplicaciones y Tecnologia SL, a maker of modems and related equipment; the Romanian subsidiary of American meters producer Elster Rometrics SRL, a member of the Honeywell group, along with Intracom SA Telecoms Solutions and Elster Gmbh; Slovenia’s Iskraemeco, with France’s Oracle France SAS; and Greece’s Protasis SA, joined by French company Sagemcom Energy & Telecom SAS, the main supplier of France’s Enedis.

Besides Switzerland’s Landis+Gyr, a multinational with facilities including a factory in Corinth, west of Athens, the two other participants not through to the second round are: Italy’s Gridspertise Srl, which was joined by Bitron Poland Sp Z.oo for the DEDDIE/HEDNO tender; and Denmark’s Netcompany Intarsoft SA – it took over Intrasoft in 2021 – which bid along with Sweden’s Ningbo Sanxing Electric, Poland’s Foxytech Sp Z.o.o, and Vodafone Panafon Hellenic Telecommunications Company SA.

DEDDIE/HEDNO plans to have the upgrade’s 7.5 million or so smart meters installed over a ten-year period. The project is budgeted at 830 million euros.

The new smart meters will provide consumers with real-time information on the kilowatt-hours they use; consumption records, via home devices or web applications; as well as varying supplier tariff levels, all of which will help consumers become more energy-efficient for lower energy costs.

In addition, smart meters will help DEDDIE/HEDNO identify technical problems in the grid, enabling swifter repair of damages.  

Solar energy investors focusing on large-scale projects

Increased emphasis is nowadays being placed on large-scale solar energy parks around Europe, as well as energy storage, through hybrid projects combining photovoltaics with batteries, participants at Intersolar Europe 2022, a major international conference and trade fair, held annually in Munich, have agreed.

The solar energy sector has enormous potential, especially in Europe, as a result of the EU’s decision to greatly reduce its reliance on Russian energy sources, participants noted, without overlooking concerns troubling the market, regarded as unstable by many.

Highlighting the growing level of interest in the solar energy sector, Intersolar Energy 2022 involved the participation of 1,356 exhibitors from 46 countries, attracting 65,000 visitors from 149 countries, a 33 percent increase compared to 2019.

A host of Greek companies took part, these being: Sunlight Group Energy Storage Systems, Elvan S.A., ILVIEF SA, Inaccess ltd, Nanotechnology Lab LTFN, Organic Electronic Technologies PC (O.E.T.), Profilodomi, Protasis SA, Raycap GmbH, Recom Technologies, S.K.EVANGELOPOULOS AND CO, SOLBOTIX S.A.

Local representatives of major international players also participated, representing companies such as Huawei, Jinko, Goodwe, Krannich-Solar, Kostal and Raycap, all active in the Greek market.