Elektrilevi concludes contract for installation of remote-readable meters in Estonia

Elektrilevi concludes contract for installation of remote-readable meters

Ericsson Estonia has been declared the successful tenderer in the public procurement organised by network operator Elektrilevi for the supply and installation of nearly 630,000 remote-readable meters over the next four years.

The successful tenderer in the international public procurement was determined in several stages, under heavy competition,” said Tarmo Mere, Chairman of the Management Board of Elektrilevi. A total of nearly 94 million euros will be invested in the purchase and installation of the meters and the accompanying IT systems.

Under the Grid Code, all standard electricity meters in Estonia must be replaced with remote-readable meters by the end of 2016 at the latest. These smart meters will exempt consumers from the obligation to report meter readings and serve to simplify the functioning of the electricity market. Remote-readable meters will provide the network operator with a better overview of what is happening in the network. They will also expedite the elimination of failures and serve to help reduce losses as well as improve capacity and investment planning.

Within the framework of the procurement contract, Ericsson Estonia will supply the meters as well as conduct the installation and provide the required IT systems. The meters will be manufactured by the international metering system provider Landis+Gyr, which has also supplied remote-readable meters to the network operators of our neighbouring countries Finland and Sweden.

According to Seth Lackman, Chairman of the Management Board of Ericsson Estonia, solutions similar to those offered to Elektrilevi have proved successful both in Europe and North America, currently serving millions of customers.
Lackman said:

“With this project, Estonia will take a huge step towards becoming a network society, with the remote-readable metering solution contributing to the technological development of Elektrilevi.”

According to Tarmo Mere, Chairman of the Management Board of Elektrilevi, the Elektrilevi remote metering project is even more challenging than projects in other countries – not only will the meters be replaced region by region, but the company will also take account of the calibration deadlines. “This will complicate project management to some extent, but will enable consumers to save money,” Mere added.

Under the contract, the first batch of 5,700 remote-readable meters will be installed at the end of the year, within the framework of the pilot project which serves to test the solution in different circumstances. Full-scale installation of remote-readable meters will be launched next year, and will continue until the end of 2016.

The customer will not be separately charged for the remote-readable meter – the investments required for the transition will be covered by network charges.

Sweden has already made the transition to remote-readable meters, with Finland completing the project by 2013.

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