Siemens has been awarded a contract to upgrade the distribution management system and establish an advanced metering infrastructure for Alexandria Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) – Lot 1 of a JICA-funded loan. A subsidiary of the state-owned utility Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC), AEDC is responsible for the distribution network of Alexandria Governorate, the second most populated governorate in Egypt. During the upcoming 30 months, Siemens will be implementing an ADMS control center for the West Alexandria region and a control center to supervise all distribution control centers in Alexandria.
In addition, 300,000 smart meters will be supplied, including the necessary hardware and software to establish an advanced metering infrastructure. The implementation of the advanced software solutions for distribution grids, and the rollout of hundreds of thousands of intelligent field devices will help Alexandria Electricity Distribution Company to increase operational and network efficiency, reduce network loads and losses, and take efficient countermeasures before critical situations arise. Following the partnership agreement signed with ESRI in July 2022, Siemens will also be delivering ESRI’s Geographical Information System (GIS) within the scope of the project.
“In light of the sector’s efforts to improve service efficiency and develop the electricity network, we are pleased to sign this agreement to implement (LOT-1) between Alexandria Electricity Distribution Company and Siemens to develop electricity distribution network and benefit from Siemens’ advanced expertise in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency,” said Dr. Mohamed Shaker, Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy. The project aims to raise the efficiency of the energy distribution system, reduce energy losses and power outages, improve service quality, and transform the electricity distribution network into a smart network. Shaker added that these projects are expected to benefit the subscribers and companies, eliminating complaints about bills, reducing the cost of regular meter reading, in addition to discovering cases of theft and tampering with meters, eliminating closed and delayed meter readings, and rationalizing consumption by following up on daily and monthly loads for the customer.
“We are very proud to be awarded a new contract to modernize the electrical grid, because it reconfirms Siemens’ commitment to deliver world-class technology to Egypt,” said Mostafa El-Bagoury, Siemens Egypt CEO. “We are also happy to work again with JICA in Egypt. This project truly signifies what Siemens stands for: providing technology with a purpose. With the rollout of hundreds of thousands of intelligent field devices and advanced software applications, we will help the operators to efficiently manage their networks and proactively guide them before and during critical situations.”
“We are very pleased that our customer has chosen Siemens to upgrade the distribution grid in Alexandria with software,” said Sabine Erlinghagen, CEO of Grid Software at Siemens. “Our software helps informed decision-making and operational optimization to effectively reduce the cost of the distribution grid. By visualizing the processes of the distribution grid at all times, our customers are able to control a wide range of grid assets, and take action to prevent critical situations before they happen.”
Between 2015 and 2021, around 28.5 GW of generation capacity was added to the Egyptian power grid, enabling the country to become a power surplus nation. Egypt has also increased its share of renewable energy resources (primarily wind and solar) over the years. The development of the power grid needs to keep pace with the installation of new power generation assets. For the distribution grid, it is important to increase efficiency of the network and to reduce power losses.
