ABB India Limited has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee for technical cooperation to construct an operational smart electricity distribution network and management system (SDNMS) in its campus. This will serve as a pilot project for the Government of India’s Smart Cities Mission. The agreement also includes the creation of a Smart Grids Resource Centre and joint R&D facilities in the field of efficient power generation and distribution with a focus on clean energy over the next five years.

 

India, the world’s third largest consumer of electricity, is working to transform its urban energy infrastructure to make it more citizen friendly and sustainable. A cost-effective smart distribution system has the potential to significantly reduce India’s carbon footprint.

 

Sanjeev Sharma, Managing Director, ABB India, said, “ABB has a strong relationship with India, having collaborated on several projects over many decades. Our agreement with IIT Roorkee strengthens ABB’s mission to nurture innovative thinking that helps people lead better lives. The project signed today serves as a proof of concept of using smart grids and intelligent automation to efficiently manage power distribution. It would make India’s vision of power to all a reality and ultimately realise ABB’s goal of building technology that runs the world without consuming the earth.”

 

IIT Roorkee has been doing pioneering work in recent years to build a more eco-friendly campus using renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind and biomass for power generation and utilisation. ABB has a strong portfolio of products for the integration, distribution and automation of interconnected renewable energy sources that form local distribution grids.