China-made machinery would be used as an interface in 19 districts . The plan is incompatible with Union ministry of powers guidelines .
LUCKNOW: The UP energy department has been given a proposal for establishing a China-made energy metering unit in Madhyanchal Distribution Company for assimilation of power consumption. The plan is crucially incompatible with Union ministry of powers guidelines, which acknowledge the limitations of the power supply system and network as a result of cyberattacks by malware embedded in the imported equipment.
Capital Power System Ltd, a Noida-based firm, has submitted a proposal for a gateway unit between smart meters in residential apartments and the UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL).The China-made machinery would be used as an interface in apartments built in 19 districts, including Lucknow, Ayodhya, Budaun, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Hardoi, Sitapur, Unnao, Bahraich, Shrawasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur, and Amethi.
It is a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi device. The gateway receives data from the smart meter and then passes it on to the head end unit or modules (HES) that are included with the UPPCL.HES’s data to the meter also passes through the gateway, enabling bi-directional communication. Though Madhyanchal discom MD Bhawani Singh refused to respond to repeated calls, a senior UPPCL official said that any such major installation must be done under the proper authority of the ministry of power.
The issue must be solved at the level of the UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UP Electricity Regulatory Commission, or UPERC), according to Raj Pratap Singh, chairman of the UPERC. Shailendra Dubey, chairman of the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF), said that the organisation has been opposed to the use of Chinese equipment from the start.
Source: PTI
