Vitogas starts its digital journey with Terranova: new gas smart metering project launched

In an era when digitalisation and technological innovation are transforming every sector, the energy market is no exception, and we have said this time and time again. The adoption of smart metering solutions is the most important step for companies that want to radically change the way they manage their metering processes, and it is precisely in this key that the new pilot project launched together with Vitogas, a Spanish company of the Rubis group, is configured. This project is the beginning of a significant and virtuous example of gas service data management and how the right technological tools can gradually revolutionise the energy sector.

The Company

Vitogas is the Spanish gas distribution and commercialisation company of the French-origin Rubis Group, specialising in the storage and distribution of petroleum products, with an annual turnover of around €3,933 million and more than 3,568 employees in 36 countries. Rubis is an expert group in liquefied petroleum gases and proves this by offering a quality service to a wide range of customers in many countries. Vitogas, in Spain, combines Rubis' know-how with the strength and experience of more than 20 years of customer service, which has led the Spanish company to become one of the most important players in the whole sector and in the whole country.

The need

Our priority was the urgent digitisation of meter readings, not only because of regulatory requirements, but also because the data available to manage our activities in an effective and pragmatic way was no longer sufficient

says Eva García García, Financial and Systems Director at Vitogas, in identifying the most important need for her company when we were chosen for the smart metering project.

Of no small importance, among other things, is the regulatory issue concerning the massive rollout of gas meters throughout Spain. Soon to be published, in fact, is the Spanish Authority's directive that will call on all companies in the country to change a high percentage of gas meters throughout the Iberian territory within a few years (it is assumed by 2028). MITECO has already initiated the replacement of around 6 million meters in the coming months and, for this reason, several companies, such as Vitogas, have already invested in smart metering. Even before the legislation is made official, therefore, projects that will immediately provide for a gradual but massive replacement of traditional meters with smart meters have already begun and are bearing their first fruits.

Thanks to the features of TAMM, our smart metering software, Vitogas will, in fact, be able to exploit the full potential of smart metering itself and make the most of the assets in which it has already invested, to create a gas service management system that fits the company's objectives and service efficiency. 

Terranova's solution is the one that best suits our needs

continues Eva García García, pointing out that, in addition to the increase in data flow, there was a strong need to converge meters of different brands and technologies into a single platform over time, without necessarily having to use different suppliers even for the remote management software.

The Solution

We chose Terranova because of the uniformity its product offers to operational requirements.

says the Financial and Systems Director.

Terranova offered us an excellent team of professionals, which facilitates communication and immediate resolution of doubts, and a system that helps us unlock several key features for our business: reduced operating costs by eliminating the need for manual readings, minimised errors and accurate billing, and increased transparency and access to data, as the smart meters provide greater transparency of consumption data, which is useful for our customers.

An all-round solution, therefore, for Vitogas, which has succeeded in enabling intelligent and sustainable gas service management, in economic, environmental and human terms. Our Meter Data Management and Head-End System have become part of the already complex architecture managed by Vitogas, which can now count on

flexibility and continuous improvement of the Terranova solution, with increasing adaptation to our needs, creating additional functionality if necessary

as Eva García García further adds. 

Vitogas' new smart metering project is a concrete example of how smart metering is the key to improving the management of energy resources. The specifics of our collaboration with the Spanish company will not only help optimise Vitogas' operations, but will also serve as a model for other companies in the gas sector wishing to embark on a path of innovation and sustainability.