Schneider Electric lands EUR 140 million deal in Serbia for power distribution network upgrade

Schneider Electric has signed a contract to supply medium voltage equipment and grid management software to upgrade Serbia’s electrical distribution network.

Schneider Electric said its solutions would help improve Serbia’s medium voltage electrical distribution network in a EUR 140 million project for grid reliability, lowering failures and cutting the duration of outages. It will also reduce network losses and allow huge CO2 emissions reduction and savings, according to the company.

The contract is for supplying equipment and grid management software. The firm, which focuses on the digital transformation of energy management and automation, said the country-wide network modernization project would improve the quality of electricity supply and thus strengthen the service provided by distribution system operator Elektrodistribucija Srbije (EDS).

Digital grid is key for renewables integration

“I am sure that the new investment in the modernization of our electricity distribution system of EUR 140 million will improve the supply of our citizens, as well as business entities, and significantly reduce losses in the network by several million euros per year,” Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić stated, as quoted by Schneider Electric.

Digitalized grids of the future improve energy efficiency, accelerate the integration of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, balance energy supply and demand and thus facilitate the green energy transition, the company said. Data management capabilities support efforts to optimize and decarbonize demand-side energy use, Schneider Electric explained.

Distribution grid optimization is saving capital investments

Grid modernization and digitalization also help identify how best to configure and operate the existing distribution network, which can reduce or postpone large capital investments in building power plants – saving public funds and reducing waste, according to the announcement.

“We have over 20 years of experience working in the country, including our global center for research, development, and production of Schneider Electric’s software to optimize electrical distribution management,” the company’s power and grid segment chief Gary Lawrence pointed out.