Jazz Pakistan in collaboration with GSMA and Centre for Intelligent Systems and Network Research (CISNR) is all set to launch pilot project with estimated cost of 20,000 pounds to reduce electricity line losses and power theft. The government of Pakistan is also engaged with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a financial assistance of $900 million to implement the project across the country to control power theft and line losses.
The pilot project to be implemented from February in Pesco will facilitate around 25,000 consumers. Jazz Pakistan has been awarded the GSMA Mobile for Development Utilities Innovation Fund, launched in June 2013, to test and scale the use of mobile to improve or increase access to energy, water and sanitation services.
The grant was awarded to Jazz for its "Energy and Line Losses Reduction in Pakistan" idea in collaboration with Centre CISNR and Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco), which uses an indigenous solution developed by their partner, CISNR, to address the biggest issue being faced by local power distribution sector; line losses and electricity theft.
Jazz has been successful in securing the seed grant after an extensive evaluation and due diligence exercise carried out by GSMA among multiple organisations from various markets. Not only telecom operators but technology innovators and development organisations from Africa and Asian regions were also part of the competition.
"Empowering customers digitally is no small feat and requires constant reinvention and innovation. This is another commitment to that philosophy to address ease for masses as they access important utility services," said Ali Naseer, Chief Corporate and Enterprise Officer Jazz. He continued, "We have partnered with the GSMA for Energy and Line Loss Reduction Solution in order to improve the overall power distribution sector."
Jazz aims to ensure that the digitisation of these utilities improved the quality of life for Pakistanis. The solution utilised the connectivity provided by Jazz to remotely monitor and manage distribution boxes, transformers and grid station feeders to ensure a more efficient and precise process that identifies points of failures, faulty lines and theft locations.
The seed fund is to be used to source and install the devices in selected subdivisions of PESCO. The CISNR will be responsible for the device units (Transfocure and Electrocure), whereas infrastructure hosting and connectivity would be provided by Jazz. In addition to this, it will also address challenges such as load management at the transformer level and consumption wise distribution in order to optimise the distribution network.
Successful execution and scale through this grant will surely prove to be a strong case for all other distribution companies, which are still not able to come up with a standardised solution to address the on-grid power distribution issues in Pakistan.
Dr Gul Muhammad, Founder and CEO CISNR said that for the pilot project Pesco has been selected where the project would be launched from February 1 in Karkhano Market. Initially smart meters would be installed at 250 transformers to be financed by GSMA with a grant of 200,000 pounds. The project is likely to be completed within six months which can be extended to the entire country within one year. The government is already in talks with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the project finances, he added.
According to the initial estimates, 54 percent losses in PESCO may be reduced to 10 percent, besides creating jobs opportunities for 10,000 engineers. Head of M4D Utilities & Ecosystem Accelerator GSMA, Max Cuvellier said that GSMA is already implementing 53 digitalisation projects in 20 developing countries, which have helped around 4.5 million consumers.