Tata Power and Enel Group to deploy smart meter and automation tech in India
Tata Power and Enel Group will deploy two pilot projects for India’s distribution network: one on smart metering, and another on digitalisation and automation.
Tata Power, one of India’s largest integrated power companies, joined hands with the Italian multinational energy major to implement the pilots under an MoU.
Tata Power’s distribution arm, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd. (TPDDL), serving 1.9 million customers in North Delhi, will work closely with Enel Group affiliate Gridspertise, jointly controlled by Enel Grids and CVC Capital Partners, on project implementation.
The first pilot will focus on accelerating digitalisation and automation of secondary substations and see Tata Power joining the international co-creation programme of Gridpertise’s QEd – Quantum Edge Device.
The programme aims to virtualise grid functionalities and enable protection and control, automation, real-time fault detection and service restoration of the network.
The other project is aimed at deploying Gridpertises’ metering technology on a pilot basis in the Delhi power distribution network.
It focuses on testing and evaluating new hybrid smart metering technology featuring a dual communication channel, via hybrid Power Line Communication (PLC) and Radio Frequency (RF).
The metering tech is hoped to offer a robust, efficient and secure communication channel by auto-switching between PLC and RF channels depending on real-time field conditions.
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Dr Praveer Sinha, CEO & managing director of Tata Power, said: “Tata Power is committed to transform the Indian power distribution landscape through innovation and new-age solutions.
“Our association with Enel Group will help us accelerate digitalisation and automation of the distribution grid, including the implementation of the hybrid meter technology. We believe that these tech advancements will pave the way for sustainable and future-ready discoms in the country”
Tata Power manages a distribution network of more than 0.4 million CKT km with 12 million customers across India via its discoms. It has also reached a milestone of installing 0.5 million smart meters.
Antonio Cammisecra, head of Enel Grids, said that the agreements announced during the India-Italy Business Roundtable result from years of close collaboration between the Enel Group and leading Indian power sector organisations.
“Enel Grids is proud to…support the country’s ambitious smart metering and digitalisation plans to modernise existing distribution grids, increasing performance and quality, as well to tap the incredible grid development opportunities in a country where demographic and economic growth are pushing electrification.”
Robert Denda, CEO of Gridspertise, added: “After opening Gridspertise’s offices in India, we are very proud to step up our collaboration with Tata Power Delhi Distribution on crucial areas such as smart metering and substation automation with our state-of-the-art proprietary edge computing technology.”
The MoU partnership was signed by Dr Robert Ronald Denda and Dr Praveer Sinha in New Delhi in the presence of other senior officials of both companies. The signing was done on the sidelines of the official visit of the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni.
