MEA, CAT Telecom plan sharing tech, systems, services
Play
Thailand's most updated English news website, newspaper english, breaking news : The Nation
The Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) has joined hands with CAT Telecom to invest in the Smart Grid Project, which runs through 2020.
Under the collaboration, MEA and CAT Telecom will together conduct a feasibility study on the utilisation of digital technology and CAT Telecom’s services to support MEA’s operations.
Somchai Roadrungwasinkul, governor of the MEA, said several components make up the smart grid: smart metering, SCADA/DMS (supervisory control and data acquisition/distribution management system), a real-time information system for all operational activities in a modern distribution control room, cloud computing and an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
The first phase would test the smart grid on power control, electricity supply management and then move to the second phase — smart metering — by the end of this year. “We will trial smart metering with 20,000 units with a large group of customers by the end of this year,” said Somchai.
Colonel Sanpachai Huvanan-dana, acting president of CAT Telecom, said the collaboration would demonstrate the competency of two organisations between electric power and telecommunication, and the existing infrastructures, in order to prevent duplicate investments.
“If MEA has to invest in a communication network over its existing power network it could cost over Bt100 million and it would take time. This collaboration is to shortcut investment time and money,” Sanpachai said.
The benefits will go to MEA’s over 3 million customers in three provinces – Nonthaburi, Samutprakarn and Bangkok – about 32 per cent of the entire country.
