MUMBAI, India--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avantha Group Company CG has been awarded a prestigious contract worth € 3.4 million by Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), the largest power utility company in the Middle East serving approximately five million customers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), to supply ZIV three phase smart meters. CG has bagged the largest lot for the supply of the first batch of industrial smart meters after months of close dedication from its application and sales team to understand the customer´s needs which enabled us to offer a customized and competitive product.
SEC has taken an important step into the deployment of smart grids by defining a new functionality and a new data model for the performance of the smart meters. Interoperability, remote management and accuracy are the three key features of these smart meters that will be connected to current transformers and will communicate via modem (GPRS). The segment of small-commerce end users will be the first one to have the meters replaced by the new smart meters and successive contracts are expected to be awarded in the short run.
The Saudi electricity market is the largest in the Arab world, with a peak load of 53,864 MW in 2013. Demand for electricity is predicted to increase by an average rate of 7 - 8% for the foreseeable future, driven by a growing population, rising per capita consumption and an ever expanding industrial base.
SEC's strategy is focused on implementing the Government's policy for the development of the electricity sector in the Kingdom, the primary objective being the provision of a safe, reliable and cost-efficient supply of electricity to end-users. CG’s endeavour has been to adapt ZIV smart meters to the particular functionalities requested by SEC and to collaborate in the definition of the optimal systems for the deployment of smart grid solutions in Saudi Arabia. As a technical leader in the region, SEC´s definition of a smart grid solution will be a determinant for development of new strategies in the area.
CG, after acquiring ZIV, has become a key provider of smart meters and an important player in the global smart grid market where we foresee strong growth, especially after a successful year with key wins from some of the most relevant and innovative European Utilities such as Iberbrola, Gas Natural Fenosa in Spain, EDP in Portugal and ERDF in France, totalling more than 60 Million Euros in this financial year. CG offers ZIV meters, data concentrator units (DCUs) and distribution automation solutions (DAS).
The company has built its competitive strategy in the development of smart grid solutions under the ZIV brand, based on its own technology, and a unique mix of technical knowhow in protection, control, communications and metering technologies. Furthermore, CG has broadened the coverage of its smart grid portfolio with an ambitious catalogue of Distribution Automation Solutions that range from LV supervision to MV automation, including Overhead MV Line Automation, Compact Secondary Substations and Micro-grid Management and Electric Vehicle Charging Systems.
Commenting on this significant win, Avantha Group Company CG’s CEO and Managing Director Laurent Demortier said, “We are very excited to partner with SEC in creating a modern, efficient grid and improve their overall end-user experience by providing a full range of smart grid products and services. The technological strength of ZIV smart meters backed by a large field experience on the behaviour and performance of different communication technologies has proven to be a key factor for CG in gaining a strategic position in the global smart grid market. This project is an important step in the implementation of advanced technologies and innovations for sustainable and cost-efficient ways of energy consumption in Saudi Arabia."
