Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Half of the smart electricity meters the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) aimed to install have now been installed, according to Marios Pappoutis, the transmission system operator’s assistant network operator. He spoke on Friday at an International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) summit in Abu Dhabi.
Installation target and contract terms
Pappoutis referred to a contract signed in 2024 by the EAC and the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (Cyta) for the installation and subsequent operation of smart meters across Cyprus. The contract foresees the installation of 400,000 smart meters by the end of June next year, at an effective cost of €125 per smart meter.
Delays and link to European Commission funding
The installation programme has faced various delays in recent years. The government continued work on the installation as it is a European Commission requirement for access to wider recovery and resilience funds.
Tender bids and court ruling
The government issued its most recent tender for the installation earlier in 2024, with Logicom, NewCytech Business Solutions, and Cyta bidding. Cyta’s bid was €50 million, compared with Logicom’s €33.7 million and NewCytech Business Solutions’ €37.6 million, but the EAC deemed Cyta’s offering the most suitable.
An administrative court later found Cyta ineligible to provide the service because it did not fall within the scope of its business. The development put European Commission funds in jeopardy, with Cyprus at risk of losing up to €35 million in grants if at least 50,000 smart meters were not installed by the end of 2024.
Parliamentary amendment
Parliament passed a law in May 2024 to allow Cyta to take on the contract. The telecommunications law was amended to allow Cyta to engage in “projects and activities related to making use of its assets, its technical or commercial capabilities, its facilities, its services and its technical know-how in the event such activities are deemed necessary and beneficial to the organisation.”
What impact do you expect the smart meter rollout to have on electricity monitoring and billing in Cyprus?
