The Siemens and Toyota alliances have qualified for the tender to establish an electricity control centre and supply smart electricity metres for the North Cairo Electricity Distribution Company.
Nagy Aref, head of the company, told Daily News Egypt that the project is funded by Japan’s Cooperation Agency (JICA) with $104m, which includes supplying 450,000 smart electricity metres in the Helmiya and Matariya areas, as well as establishing a control centre in Helmiya.
He added that several companies have asked to participate in the project, but according to the stringent requirements and standards of JICA, only the Siemens and Landis+Gyr alliance and the Toyota-Iskra-ABB-Schneider Electric alliance have qualified to buy the prospectus and inspect the site.
The two alliances began to visit the sites and inspect the distributors in the Helmiya area in preparation to present their technical and financial offers. JICA has not set deadline for the submission of bids, but will be determined after the site preview, according to Aref.
The Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) signed a loan agreement with JICA worth ¥10.7bn to finance the automation projects of Alexandria, North Delta, and North Cairo electricity distribution companies.
The EEHC shall disburse the loan in three instalments. The repayment period of the loan shall be 30 years, with a grace period of 10 years and interest of 0.01%.
The EEHC contracted with a global consultant, Tepesco, in cooperation with the Systems Engineering Company of the ministry of electricity, to prepare the technical specifications and standards for the automation project of the distribution companies.
The ministry of electricity aims to rehabilitate, develop and expand electrical networks across Egypt within two years, in accordance with the directives of President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, so that the electricity sector can continue its supply without problems.
Hussaini El Far, a member of the distribution companies, said that the priorities of the sector are currently implementing the plan to develop and modernise the transmission and distribution networks and the control centres needed to absorb the added capabilities of the new projects ,and raise the level of service provided to the public with high efficiency.
