Team MAKSUS are looking to simplify O&M

Current systems on the islands are wasteful. We want to make a product that is efficient.

Mikael Kullman, Director of MAKSUS Consulting AB and lead project manager for the Andaman pilot for Team Maksus talks about project expectations and objectives. Team MAKSUS has long standing experience of working in India, and believe that this will be of great help.

From a technology point of view, what is your plan?

We want to bring Swedish technology to India and adapt it to the particular project. The focus is on business development and so we’ve partnered with MIMER, the aim is to collaborate on technology solutions as well as business development.

The idea is to improve and adapt the technology for micro grids and find a solutions that not only generates electricity but also tracks the usage. We want to make a product that is specific to the Andaman Islands and is efficient, unlike the current systems which are very wasteful.

We need to simplify the operation and management of the project so that it is easy to maintain and there is no loss of energy. When the O&M is complicated the people on the ground find it difficult to solve even the small problems which defeats the purpose of simple and sustainable technology.

Tell us about the feasibility study?

We are looking at themes like robustness, scalability, social impact and the like. The plan is to take the whole energy generating and usage system as a whole and not as different components. There is also a higher focus on the ground implementation of the project.

We would also look at solutions that are more suited to a particular case for example the use of bio gas in homes is more cost and energy efficient than using power from the grid. We would like to explore situations where alternative methods of power generation would be better than power from the micro grid.

What is the advantage of having worked in India earlier?

Having worked here before we have a robust understanding of the different elements that are at play on the ground. India is a very challenging market to work in and to do so one must first understand the various social aspects that are at play.

We have a strong local connect and have partners who are working in the area. We are a consortium of five companies that have come together for this project and having someone who understands the local needs of the area has helped us develop our project.