PARIS: Crompton Greaves (CG), an Avantha Group company, on October 14, 2015 presented its new smart grid solution centre at Grenoble – a high tech site specialised in smart solutions of HV, MV and LV electricity networks – in France. Last November CG had announced the selection of Grenoble for establishing the centre for ZIV smart grid solutions in France. The production at the facility will begin in January 2016, according to the timetable indicated by ERDF, which manages the French electricity network.
Having been selected as one of the six companies to manufacture the ERDF Linky meters to be deployed in France, the facility in Grenoble is in line with providing local support to ERDF that announced in 2014 a massive deployment of 35 million smart meters by 2021. With France hosting and presiding over COP21, also known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference marking its commitment to keeping global warming below 2°C, CG plays an important role by providing smart solutions for energy efficient sustainable electricity networks that contribute to the goal of reducing global warming in the world.
CG, after acquiring ZIV, is a key provider of smart meters and an important player in the global smart grid market.
“With the inauguration of the ZIV smart grid solution centre in Grenoble, we are delighted with ZIV’s commitment, key player of the smart grid market, supporting us in the deployment of the Linky smart meters programme in France. The success of this major ERDF industrial programme is based on a strong partnership with all mobilised industrial companies,” stated Catherine Cros, industrial director, ERDF.
Commenting on the significance of the occasion, Laurent Demortier, CEO and managing director, CG, said, “We remain focussed on making the smart grid a tangible reality by providing solutions born from innovation and Grenoble serves as the perfect place to set up a facility of this kind. With Europe’s smart metering market expected to grow sharply and hit 180 million units by 2020, the Grenoble facility, together with the existing facilities in Spain, will enable CG to address the demand from large-scale deployments in France, UK, Spain, the Netherlands and other countries in the area.”
