• E& Enterprise (formerly Etisalat Digital) has awarded Datakorum, the new investee of Almar Water Solutions, a project to provide smart-communication services for water and energy infrastructure in Abu Dhabi.
• The contract will use a connectivity-as-a-service (CaaS) model to ensure connectivity between end users, distribution meters and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).

March 28th, 2022 – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Datakorum, an investee of Almar Water Solutions, which is a leading company in the development of water infrastructures and services for water production, treatment, and sale, has been awarded a contract for a smart-communication project for water and energy infrastructure in Abu Dhabi. The contract, with a term of more than five years, will strengthen the process started by the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) to provide connectivity to its advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).

Datakorum will be responsible for supplying the 5G gateways that provide data connectivity to ensure interaction between end users, distribution meters and the AMI. This will enable Taqa to achieve 100% connectivity between the smart meters in Abu Dhabi.

The scope of the contract initially covers more than 50,000 5G gateways, with NB-IoT and LTE-M connectivity, which will connect dozens of Plug&Play smart water and electricity meters, that support all of the communication protocols currently used by this type of meter from the main international brands, and five years of associated services. This real-time connectivity will provide customers with access to automatic and detailed readings of their current and past water and energy consumption, so that they can better understand and control consumption. This network will serve as the basis for future demand-side management programs, and the meters will pave the way for smart-grid objectives such as capacity control and outage management.

Since 2018, Datakorum has been leading innovation in the development of data connectivity under the CaaS (Connectivity-as-a-Service) model based on 5G communications (NB-IoT) in the water, electricity, gas and mobility sectors, using its proprietary technology to create a communications ecosystem that fully integrates sensors and platforms, which is key in these large infrastructure projects with an enormous variety of products and manufacturers that have to be connected into a single management system.

Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) and E& Enterprise, the company that is driving the digital transformation in the region, are deploying the communication network and an advanced Internet of Things platform for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).The goal of both is to ensure improved efficiency for their customers and contribute to the digitization of their infrastructure, accelerating operational improvements and preparation of the smart grid.

Carlos Cosín, CEO of Almar Water Solutions, after signing the contract said, “We have a strong presence in the Middle East developing non-conventional water infrastructure for water supply. We can now also provide solutions that go further, ensuring smart communications. We are very pleased with the progress of Almar Water Solutions’ new line of business: Industry & Technology”.

Almar Water Solutions recently acquired a stake in Datakorum with the aim of offering smart solutions for the water industry and developing more modern and efficient infrastructure to ensure optimal management. With this new contract, the company takes the first steps in Smart Infrastructure, working hand in hand with a partner with operations in Spain, Germany, United Arab Emirates and Southeast Asia.