Moscow, December 4, 2019 — Gazprombank, together with Digital Horizon, an international investment company, introduced the Edison intelligent blockchain platform designed for the energy, housing and public utilities market.
Within the framework of a pilot project, the Edison blockchain platform operates at Yantarenergo, a subsidiary of Rosseti PJSC in Kaliningrad Region.
The presentation of the project took place at the Power Grids International Forum at the Rosseti PJSC stand.
The platform operates according to the following mechanism: consumers install “smart” metering devices that relay readings to the information computation system of the service provider or the management company in online mode. From there, consumption data arrives at the Edison Platform, where it becomes available for all systems and services of calculation participants. A bill is prepared for the consumer, which is recorded in the blockchain. The consumer pays the bill in their account (via a mobile app or a web version of the service). The Edison platform is integrated with Gazprombank.
In case arrears are accumulated, the platform enables disconnection of the consumer from electric power or any other resource without a visit by a specialist, while all of the necessary paperwork is completed in digital form. Once the arrears have been discharged, information on remittance of the respective amount immediately appears in the system and it takes no more than five minutes for the consumer to reconnect.
Information is simultaneously updated for all participants on the Edison platform to ensure calculation transparency, data consistency and immediate reporting reconciliation and harmonization, thereby allowing resource suppliers working with debtors — whether among end-consumers or sales and management companies — to operate more efficiently.
“We are grateful to the executives of Rosseti PJSC for the opportunity to take part in these projects under the strategic digitalization program for the grid complex. Rosseti PJSC is our priority client in the energy industry; we are very pleased with the development dynamics of our relationship with the company and hope that the Edison platform created with Gazprombank’s participation will help elevate our cooperation with Rosseti PJSC to a qualitatively-new level,” said Vadim Dormidontov, Gazprombank Executive Vice President for Energy, Housing and Public Utilities.
“The Edison platform helps to reduce the level of distrust among participants on the retail power market and housing and public utilities in general, because the automated execution of smart contracts excludes the misrepresentation of information. Companies — users of the system — receive the same data recorded in blockchain and use it to prepare bills and consider incoming payments. Payment splitting with smart contracts prevents funds from getting stranded in the accounts of unscrupulous mediators. Moreover, the personal data of consumers never leaves the boundaries of the platform’s participating companies. We are certain that it is the best-possible solution and one that will dramatically change the retail-energy market, as well as the relationships between its actors,” shared Andrey Balandin, Edison Project Supervisor at Digital Horizon.
“The energy sector is undergoing a massive technological transformation, and I understand just how important it is for the company to quickly develop and adapt to the new realities. Thanks to its active participation in such pilot projects, Rosseti Yantar is one of the first to introduce the most efficient solutions designed for the sector’s digitalization by choosing only those that bring practical value. To better appreciate the opportunities offered by blockchain technology such as the transparency, reliability and constancy of the electric-power metering that it ensures, we have introduced the Edison platform by Digital Horizon and the solutions of other developers on an actual pilot platform. The effect is obvious. We will need some time to give a comprehensive assessment of the results, but the general result has thus-far been positive,” emphasized Kirill Yutkin, CEO of Rosseti Yantar.
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Gazprombank (Joint-Stock Company) is one of the largest multi-faceted financial institutions in Russia, providing a wide range of banking, financial and investment products and services to corporate and private customers, financial institutions, institutional and private investors. The Bank is one of the three largest banks in Russia by all major indicators and ranks third on the list of banks in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of equity.
Digital Horizon is an investment company bringing together a technology incubator and a venture fund. The incubator, operating in accordance with the venture-build model, creates breakthrough projects in finance, retail, marketing and media. The Digital Horizon venture fund invests in start-ups with working products and promising developments for Industry 4.0 (soft, marketplaces), online and offline retail and the financial sector at the early stages. The Digital Horizon team boasts unique expertise in target industries and extensive connections with strategic partners, foundations and developers.
Rosseti PJSC is an operator of Russian energy grids and one of the largest electric companies in the world. It maintains 2.35 mln km of power transmission lines and 507,000 substations. Rosseti PJSC encompasses 35 subsidiaries and affiliates, including 15 interregional companies and a main grid company. It is a leading company on the Russian market in terms of introducing innovative technologies to the main grid and distribution grid complex.