Retele Electrice DSOs expand smart meter rollout in Romania

The three Retele Electrice companies are tendering for another 50,000 smart meters for three-phase connections as part of their ongoing rollout in Romania.

Under the €4.6 million (US$5 million) tender, a maximum of 17,000 three-phase smart meters will be purchased for Rețele Electrice Banat, 16,000 for Rețele Electrice Dobrogea and 17,000 for Rețele Electrice Muntenia.

The meters must use the Meters & More communication protocol and meet the minimum functionalities imposed by Romania’s energy regulatory authority (ANRE).

“Smart meters are the foundation of a resilient distribution network because they act as sensors in our low voltage networks, enabling us to efficiently manage energy flows and continuously have an accurate and real-time representation of the network’s operation,” says Mihai Pește, general manager of Rețele Electrice.

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“By committing to install a smart meter for every customer, whether they are a consumer, producer or prosumer, we take on an essential role in advancing the energy transition in Romania by creating an energy system adaptable to future demands.”

By the end of 2024, the total number of smart meters installed by the three Retele Electrice companies is expected to reach approximately 1.7 million.

These will correspond to coverages of approximately 50% for customers served by Rețele Electrice Banat, 53% for those by Rețele Electrice Muntenia, and 59% for those by Rețele Electrice Dobrogea.

These are expected to amount to the highest volumes delivered so far in the electricity distribution system in Romania, with 2028 targeted by ANRE for the completion of the nationwide rollout.

Alongside the smart meter rollout, the Retele Electrice DSOs are undertaking modernisation activities on their MV and LV grids and transformer stations.

In the latest round, over 90 transformer substations are to be modernised, as well as approximately 126km of the MV grid and 170km of the LV grid and approximately 5,000 connections are due to be restored with support from the EU’s Modernisation Fund.