The United States Agency of International Development (USAID is in the final stages of rolling out a nationwide installation of Automated Meter Reading (AMR) projects.
The project was started under its continuing efforts to assist government-owned power distribution companies (DISCOs) in loss reductions and revenue enhancements.
Initially, the project would be targeting areas with high thefts and significantly high line losses, said a news release issued here yesterday. The AMR would provide highly accurate electronic meter readings with little human intervention, using computer technology to transmit meter readings data via GSM/GPRS and Radio Frequency. This would help DISCOs in monitoring the energy consumption trends among different consumer categories, understand consumer patterns, reduce electricity losses significantly and increase their revenues. The installation of AMR meters would start in the first quarter of the year. This was the largest AMR rollout in Pakistan with almost 17,000 AMR meters being installed among all five DISCOs.
Under this project AMR meters will be installed at feeders, distribution transformers, agricultural tubewells, general and high-end consumers, in areas with a high number of thefts and electricity losses. The project was being launched as a model for the five DISCOs to showcase the benefits of the latest meter reading technologies. The program would also facilitate in establishing methodologies for energy accounting and cost of service studies for DISCOs. AMR experts from the USAID Power Distribution Program along with corresponding teams from all five DISCOs will be travelling to ITRON’s manufacturing facility at France on January 4, 2013 for Factory Acceptance Testing of AMR meters. The project’s long-term objectives were to work with DISCOs to establish the viability and sustainability of this technology to ensure reliable and accurate billing for all customers. This technology can result in improved revenue, reduced losses and identify theft for DISCOs.
The USAID Power Distribution Program will also introduce new equipment specifically designed to reduce the frequency and duration of power outages.
Besides AMR, smart metering and other hardware projects, the USAID Power Distribution Program was also providing trainings to DISCOs in strategic planning and change management, management development, planning and engineering, customer information system, lineman safety and skill enhancement, business planning and financial modelling, communications and customer outreach, gender equity and developing and training personnel.
USAID to roll-out largest Automated Meter Reading Project in Pakistan
