Montenegro’s DSO CEDIS secures funds for grid digitalization

Montenegrin distribution system operator (DSO) CEDIS has secured funds for the installation of an advanced grid management system and procurement of smart meters.

The EUR 40 million package consists of a EUR 35 million loan provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and a EUR 5 million grant under the European Union’s Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF).

The funds are intended for a new supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and an advanced distribution management system (ADMS), as well as the procurement of new smart meters.

Smart meters help users and utility companies monitor and manage electricity usage more efficiently

The project is expected to reduce technical losses by 10%, decrease grid outages to approximately one sixth of the current level, allow new renewable energy sources to be integrated into the grid and enhance cyber security, according to CEDIS and EBRD.

The SCADA system will be used to monitor and control medium-voltage grid networks in real time. ADMS is an advanced platform that optimizes the management and operation of the electricity distribution system.

Smart meters help users and utility companies monitor and manage electricity usage more efficiently, reducing losses and improving reliability, the update reads.

The loan agreement was signed by the EBRD’s Head of Montenegro Remon Zakaria, CEDIS CEO Vladimir Ivanović, and Ivan Bulatović, CEO of EPCG.

Ivanović: The integration of smart meters will empower consumers to better understand and optimize their energy usage

According to Zakaria, the project represents a transformative step towards the digitalisation of the electricity distribution system in Montenegro.

Citizens will experience a more reliable electricity supply, and CEDIS will achieve substantial reductions in technical losses and gain the advanced capabilities required to swiftly detect and address technical faults, he added.

Vladimir Ivanović said SCADA and ADMS would revolutionize the way the company operates the distribution network. The integration of smart meters will empower consumers to better understand and optimize their energy usage, contributing to greater energy efficiency across the network, he stressed.

Last year Ivanović said CEDIS has reduced grid losses from 12.93% to 10.84% and that it planned to lower them below 10% by the end of December.