Source: Intelligent electricity metering devices

2021: Roselectronics launches a new line for the production of smart electric meters for 0.5 billion rubles

Roselectronics is launching a new line for the production of smart electric meters, in which more than 0.5 billion rubles will be invested. This was announced in mid-September 2021 by the state corporation "Rostec," which includes the holding.

The Industrial Development Fund (FRP) provided the Istok research and production enterprise with a loan of 558 million rubles to expand the existing production of smart electricity metering devices based on domestic electronic components and software. Thanks to this project, it is planned to create more than 100 new jobs and significantly increase production due to production automation. The new assembly line will produce 250 thousand products annually, the press service of Rostec reports.

Roselectronics launches a new line for the manufacture of smart electric meters for 0.5 billion rubles

Thanks to the support of the FRP, our enterprise will be able to launch a new assembly line in the first quarter of 2022 and promptly respond to the market request, providing consumers with reliable devices of domestic production, - said Andrei Chendarov, deputy general director for technological development of the United Instrument-Making Corporation (managing company of the Roselectronics holding).

According to him, in connection with the massive transition to smart electricity metering devices, we are seeing a steady increase in demand for these products. Therefore, it was decided to expand production capacity and increase the production of smart meters.

It is noted that the main customers of intelligent metering devices are power grid companies. The devices automatically collect and transmit readings to the data operator, and also allow users to monitor the amount of energy consumed and pay for services through a mobile application.^[1]

2020: Production of smart electric meters on domestic components and software

On June 18, 2020, it became known about the start of production of Russia's first smart electric meters on domestic components and software. It was organized by Roselectronics at the Shokin NPP-controlled Istok with a concessional loan of 363 million rubles from the Industrial Development Fund (FRP).

Devices that have entered production are able to automatically collect and transmit readings to the data operator, and also allow users to monitor the amount of energy consumed and pay for services through a mobile application.

The production of Russia's first smart electric meters on domestic components and software has begun

The developers promise to expand the functionality of the product. In particular, it is expected to be possible to turn off the power supply to specific rooms in the apartment (for example, if a person forgot to turn off the iron or electric stove).

The main customers of the products will be power grid companies. The delivery of the first batch of 30 thousand metering devices will begin in September 2020 under a contract with the Moscow developer of residential facilities.

The new production of Istok is indicative, but not the only example of how the defense industry enterprise successfully masters the production of competitive civilian products. At the moment, the FRP has already financed 33 projects under the Conversion program for a total of almost 15 billion rubles, - said the director  of the FRPRoman Petrutsa.

According to Alexander Borisov, General Director of NPP Istok, from the initial production of smart devices for accounting for electricity, the company not only enters a new market for itself, but also diversifies its production, mastering the production of promising and demanded civilian products. It is planned to establish production of up to 1 million smart electric meters per year and increase the share of civilian products at the enterprise to 10% by the end of 2020, Borisov said.^[2]

2019: Presentation of Smart Electricity Meters

On June 6, 2019, the Roselectronics holding of Rostec State Corporation announced that it had developed smart electricity metering devices based on domestic components and software together with Rosseti. The company's specialists have created a technical appearance of the equipment, providing for mechanisms for its protection from unauthorized access, including in order to change the meter readings. The start of mass production is scheduled for the 2nd quarter of 2020.

As of June 2019, the Russian market for electric meters mainly includes devices manufactured on the basis of foreign integrated circuits, printed circuit boards, electronic components and modules. The use of imported ECB carries the risks of introducing undocumented functions into the equipment. Localization of meter production at the holding's enterprises, the use of Russian system software and ECB will allow us to create a cybersecurity-safe intelligent electricity accounting system and at the same time increase the volume of civilian production at our enterprises, commented in Roselectronics.

Roselectronics began implementing a project to localize the production of metering devices in 2018. As part of the first stage, a joint venture was created with the domestic manufacturer of smart meters JSC PKK Milander.

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