PNGRB, EESL ink MoU to deploy smart PNG meters in CGD sector

PNGRB and EESL have signed an MoU to introduce smart PNG meters in the City Gas Distribution sector, aiming to enhance efficiency, transparency and safety. The initiative promises advanced features such as digital monitoring, leak detection and cybersecurity safeguards, marking a major step towards a consumer-centric and technology-enabled gas ecosystem.

Hyderabad: The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to give a technology push to City Gas Distribution (CGD) sector through deployment of smart domestic Piped Natural Gas (PNG) meters.

The initiative is expected to usher in a new generation of gas metering with advanced features including digital monitoring, tamper alerts, leak detection, remote operations and cybersecurity safeguards, making the PNG ecosystem more efficient and transparent being safer and more secure.

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The initiative is expected to benefit the stakeholders of all States, including Telangana. Former Director General of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ajay Mathur welcomed the PNGRB-EESL partnership. He stressed that it was a timely and significant step towards a consumer- centric, technology-enabled and future-ready CGD ecosystem.

He congratulated PNGRB Secretary Anjan Kumar Mishra and EESL CEO Akhilesh Kumar Dixit for the initiative, observing that smart PNG metering would contribute not only to energy efficiency and transparency but also to energy security and cybersecurity.

PNGRB will facilitate regulatory guidance, standardisation, conformity assessment, certification and stakeholder coordination, while EESL will support demand aggregation, technology assessment, procurement strategies and implementation.

PNGRB, a Statutory body established under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act 2006,has authorised 307 Geographical Areas, providing 100 per cent mainland coverage, while more than 33,500 km of natural gas pipeline networks have been authorised, of which around 25,000 km are already operational.

With PNG connections expanding rapidly across urban and semi-urban areas, traditional manual meter reading and periodic billing systems could face growing challenges relating to accuracy, revenue assurance & safety monitoring and customer service. Smart meters can address many of these challenges through automated and digitally connected systems.

CEO Akhilesh Kumar Dixit said that EESL’s experience in smart utility infrastructure provides an important foundation for the programme. The company has already installed and manages more than 44.5 lakh smart electricity meters across several States and UTs demonstrating its ability to execute technology-led utility transformation programmes at scale, he stated.