Russian fuel and energy complex digitalization market

2024

Results of the year

In 2024, the fuel and energy complex digitalization market came to a state of confident stable growth, having managed to finally adapt to the changes that began in 2022. Investment strategies are now coming to the fore, not crisis or optimization.

Fuel and Energy Complex companies have re-evaluated their IT infrastructure and are building systems that take into account the realities and requirements of a specific fuel and energy complex facility or ecosystem of facilities. Challenges in this direction for many companies have become a priority in the formation of an IT strategy for the coming years.

In 2024, the Russian portfolio of products and services expanded, the institutions of support and coordination of digitalization processes at the level of industry segments strengthened, and the base of competencies for their implementation expanded.

2024 showed that even against the background of external restrictions, the Russian fuel and energy complex is moving forward confidently. Companies are actively switching to domestic software products - the share of such software has grown from 60% to 80% over the past few years. This not only strengthens technological sovereignty, but also stimulates the development of local IT platforms, providing jobs and new competencies for specialists.

Market changes in 2024

The market went through the phase of primary turbulence in 2022 and the stage of active search for alternative solutions in 2023. The business has demonstrated a significant evolution in understanding its needs and requirements for domestic developments. This process is characterized by the transition from spontaneous response to challenges to the systemic formation of technological independence.

One of the main strategic areas was the import substitution of technological solutions. AI, digital twins were actively introduced, data processing technologies were improved.

{{quote 'author=Fanur Sayfulmulyukov, Head of power and Housing and Communal Services of Zyfra Group | We see that energy sector companies are exploring the possibilities of existing systems and developing scenarios for their use to solve the problems of improving the quality of their own investments in the development of energy assets. }}

The primary level of "classical digitalization" is being completed at the fuel and energy complex enterprises. Key players in the oil and gas industry are looking to optimize costs with the latest digital tools amid significant changes in the economy. In this regard, IT projects for the creation of common service centers (CSCs), which include the management of business processes of large organizations, are in high demand. The desire to maximize the efficiency of the use of assets and production facilities translates into MR digitalization projects, and oil and gas companies use UAVs to monitor the condition of pipelines. They strive to increase sales in the domestic market, hence the demand for projects to optimize supply chains, commercial accounting of the movement of petroleum products, automation of the accounting and control process, assortment management and pricing.

Most energy companies in Russia invest in the creation and implementation of predictive analytics information systems to assess the technical condition of networks and equipment and early detection of developing defects. This allows you to reduce the risks of accidents and losses associated with them. To improve management efficiency, companies are implementing real-time dispatch systems.

For example, one of the acute questions about the transition to domestic solutions and an important area in digitalization among oil workers was the situational and analytical centers for the management and control of distributed facilities, as well as information and diagnostic systems for collecting and analyzing seismic data, modeling technological processes, preparing and processing well products.

System modeling of objects and networks, the creation of digital twins with integrated IoT tools ensure the deployment of object monitoring and the full transition of the fuel and energy complex to the category of Industry 4.0 enterprises with the large-scale use of automatic processes. The key point of development is the distributed monitoring of all fuel and energy complex components for instant monitoring of equipment condition and timely maintenance.

The main challenges in 2024 included a lack of qualified personnel, the need to modernize existing IT infrastructures and the difficulty of integrating new domestic solutions with outdated industrial systems.

Market Volume Estimates

The domestic market for the digitalization of the fuel and energy complex in 2023-2024. in general, followed the dynamics of the IT market, although the rate of sustainable growth, at least, was higher than the average market, and at most could be one of the highest. No wonder the fuel and energy complex is among the leaders in terms of digitalization: the modernization of the digital infrastructure is actively ongoing here, innovations are being introduced, since IT has become the main driver in improving the efficiency of industry enterprises.

According to industry analysts, the volume of investments in digital technologies in the fuel and energy complex reached ₽180-200 billion, which is due to increased demand for import-substituting solutions and the development of new technological platforms. The growth drivers were the introduction of industrial IoT solutions, the development of domestic software for technological process control, and the growing interest in artificial intelligence and predictive analytics.

In 2023, the oil and gas sector made 17% more financial investments in digital transformation, the amount amounted to ₽53 billion.

Growth in the market as a whole in 2023 could be 10-15%, especially in the IT sector for automation of production. In 2024, this trend remained, and the growth of the share of domestic software in the market became a new trend - import substitution costs increased.

In 2024, the market for software solutions for the electric power industry crossed the mark of ₽42 billion, and companies continue to enthusiastically master innovations. This is naturally reflected in the financial results, where efficiency increases by an average of 10% to EBITDA.

Investments in the cybersecurity of the industry increased by about 22-24% compared to 2023, while fully justifying the business goals for which they stood out: thanks to them, hundreds of oil and gas and generating enterprises are protected by control and data transmission systems, minimizing the risks of cyber attacks, reducing the likelihood of accidents and downtime.

The role of the state is growing

In 2023-2024, state regulation of the IT sector was focused on supporting the development of domestic software. It is possible that in the future the state policy will focus on promoting high-quality, competitive and replicated Russian IT solutions, and not only for the fuel and energy complex. Currently, the Ministry of Energy of Russia is actively working to ensure the necessary level of technological sovereignty of the country in the fuel and energy complex.

The technological transformation of the fuel and energy complex is taking place as part of the digital development strategy until 2030.^[1] In parallel with the unification of data and their processing algorithms, fuel and energy complex companies are participating in the development of national digitalization standards, which should ensure a state strategy in the field of digital transformation of the fuel and energy complex.

Evgeny Odintsov, General Director of SIGMA, recalled that one of the key measures on the part of the state to support various industries was the creation of industrial competence centers (ICCs), which are designed to promote the import substitution process in strategically important sectors of the economy. At the end of 2024, the interim results of the work of the ICC were summed up and a number of additional measures were developed aimed at creating standard industry solutions.

For the digitalization market of the electric power industry, an important event was the entry into force of the provisions of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 890, aimed at the modernization and "intellectualization" of accounting systems.^[2] Since January 2024, the moratorium on fines for not installing smart metering devices has been lifted, and Government Decree No. 2554 of December 30, 2022 has made changes regarding liability for failure to provide or improper provision of a minimum set of functions of smart metering systems for electric energy (power).^[3] These measures accelerated the digitalization of electricity accounting in the retail market.

Domestic companies of the fuel and energy complex and state structures strive to ensure a high level of security in the face of modern cyber threats. In March 2022, a presidential decree was issued "On measures to ensure the technological independence and safety of the critical infrastructure of the Russian Federation," which significantly changed the structure of previously existing requirements.^[4] One of the points of this decree was the ban on the use of foreign software at significant objects^[5] KII with 01.01.2025.

Do not forget that 70% of KII facilities are located at fuel and energy complex enterprises. Tighter requirements for critical infrastructure protection have accelerated the implementation of monitoring, backup, and cyber defense systems. Data localization laws stimulated the development of Russian cloud platforms and data centers, which increased the reliability of industry IT systems.

Influence the processes of digital transformation in the fuel and energy complex and general market initiatives of the state. For example, the measures introduced to support domestic developers and manufacturers, as well as initiatives to create a unified data infrastructure, subsidy programs and tax and loan benefits for digitalization companies.

State initiatives in the field of business process and data management stimulate the launch of projects aimed at introducing new solutions and updating existing ones, taking into account changes in legislation. The possibility of using electronic signatures in labor relations led to the emergence of a new niche of applied software - electronic personnel electronic document management systems (EDC). Over the past two years, they have been actively implemented, including at fuel and energy complex enterprises.

{{quote 'author = Vladimir Andreev, president of Docsvision, vendor of the low-code platform Docsvision | Last year, the Docsvision-based KEDO system was put into operation at the State Unitary Enterprise "Fuel and Energy Complex of St. Petersburg," one of the leading heat and power companies in the North-West. The launch of the KEDO system made it possible to radically speed up personnel processes and unload the HR service - 9 thousand employees of the enterprise, including those working in remote units, now get acquainted with personnel documents online and sign them using the EDS. The project became the winner of the competition "The best personnel technologies of the North-Western Federal District - 2024" in the nomination "The best personnel technology of working with personnel. }}

Another project "Docsvision" became the winner of the Global CIO community competition "Project of the Year 2024" in the nomination "The best project in the fuel and energy complex." Due to the new solution, the volume and cost of legal support for the customer's claim work was reduced by 80%, and the time for issuing claims was reduced from several weeks to one minute. The economic impact of the implementation exceeded the payback indicator of the project by 10 times.

{{quote 'author = Vladimir Andreev, president of Docsvision, vendor of the low-code platform Docsvision | The IT solution based on Docsvision, developed for LUKOIL-AERO, was integrated with the accounting system of the enterprise and a specialized system for issuing documents for cargo transportation. As a result, the customer received an effective tool for monitoring the downtime of tank cars and prompt decision-making on the basis of data, automated processing, billing and accounting of claims. }}

The industry is in demand for projects to switch to new formats of electronic signatures using machine-readable powers of attorney (MCD). The development of the regulatory framework regarding the storage of electronic documents makes it possible to predict the growing interest in projects for the creation of electronic archives, including long-term storage systems.

In light of the active participation of the state in the development of Russia's energy infrastructure, information systems for comprehensive scenario modeling of the development of energy systems are promising. In this direction, the leading positions are and will be taken by the state to ensure its own tasks of regulation, control, supervision and co-financing of the development of the industry.

{{quote 'author=Leonid Tikhomirov, Managing Partner of ITPS | It is important to note the strengthening of the role of the state in stimulating the development of domestic technologies for the fuel and energy complex.}}

Import substitution progress

Despite the implemented measures that ensured accelerated migration to domestic solutions, a number of challenges remain relevant.

From the point of view of customers of replacement IT products, in comparison with the previous period, the qualitative difference between the situation in 2024 lies in the activation of industry enterprises in the direction of choosing suitable IT solutions from domestic developers.

Market participants noted the high importance of information security issues, both due to the growing importance of information technologies at production, generation, transportation, processing enterprises, and due to the growing motivation of violators in terms of organizing attacks on the country's energy infrastructure.

{{quote 'author=Alexander Shcherbakov, Sales and Business Development Director at IT company Innostage | The increased demand for information security in the power was the result of an increase in the level of digitalization of the sphere: much more IT assets and related business processes need protection from cyber threats. On the other hand, the industry has strengthened cyber defense in response to the general increase in the number and power of hacker activity on the country's enterprises, and primarily the objects of critical information infrastructure.}}

According to Federal Law No. 127, the transition to domestic software in KII facilities was set aside until January 1, 2025, and many enterprises had to plan large-scale implementations in the previous year in order to be in time for deadline.

{{quote 'author=Nikolay Maslov, analyst-designer of IT company SimbirSoft | Russian products have been actively present in the fuel and energy complex before, but now the advantage is given to the integrated import substitution of ICT infrastructure, including equipment for ensuring cybersecurity and the stability of critical infrastructure.}}

{{quote 'author=Maxim Melsitov, Development Director for Development and Implementation of Jet Infosystems Software | At the beginning of 2025, import substitution reached 75-85% in the segments of operating systems, databases and cybersecurity.}}

At the moment, it is the fuel and energy complex that is one of the most massive customers of domestic complexes for various purposes - both for monitoring and for countering cyber threats. In addition, the industry actively integrates Russian PACS into its networks and develops its own applications with the help of partner and subsidiary enterprises.

The transition to domestic software required the use of special strategies, including the integration of existing and new solutions. There was a certain centralization in the development of complex design solutions.

The experts' attention was focused on the progress of APCS, import substitution of ERP class systems is being actively discussed. Active development and implementation of domestic solutions in the field of LIMS, MES, SCADA, TORO, ERP is relevant for fuel industry companies. The transition to Russian databases and Servers OS at enterprises is almost complete. Currently, a massive transition to domestic software in virtualization systems is expected.

{{quote 'author=Alexey Menzovitny, SpaceVM Product Director of DACOM M | In terms of virtualization systems, the next two to three years we expect a massive transition to Russian solutions: by the end of the year, the share of domestic virtualization systems among Russian businesses, including the fuel and energy complex, may be about 60%.}}

{{quote 'author = Maxim Berezin, Business Development Director Orion soft | An especially active increase in the pace of import substitution in terms of virtualization - 2 times - was shown by energy companies. In petrochemical companies, the growth in the volume of software implementations for virtualization was more moderate: most of the players in the petrochemical industry have already passed the period of testing and piloting software and have now begun the implementation stage.}}

Orion soft conducted analytics of import substitution of virtualization software in companies of the fuel and energy sector included in the Forbes rating "100 largest companies in Russia by net profit." At the beginning of 2025, the zVirt system was already implemented in 43% of such companies as an internal standard. 30% actively test and choose a product, and another 27% for one reason or another did not start the import substitution process, use solutions based on Open Source or have implemented products from other vendors.

According to Vladimir Andreev, president of Docsvision, a vendor of the low-code platform Docsvision, projects for import substitution of system and application software were successfully completed at customer enterprises during the period under review. In particular, in 2024, the main area of ​ ​ work with the leading Russian petrochemical holding was the transfer of solutions based on Docsvision to an import-independent stack.

This project can be called a reference, - said the expert. - Systems based on our platform, operating at the enterprise for more than ten years, were transferred to the Russian DBMS Postgres Pro. New solutions that were developed for the customer during this period (confidential document management system and archival document storage system) were created on a technology stack that includes Linux and Postgres Pro DBMS. "

According to Victoria Reutskaya, head of the business automation department of the IT company SimbirSoft, among the problems of the direction, such phenomena as lack of investment, shortage of personnel should be noted. Import substitution distracted the resources of fuel and energy enterprises from other options and digitalization processes, believes Alexander Goltsov, General Director of AMT GROUP.

Recall that representatives of the IC "Neftegaz, Petrochemistry and Subsoil Use" reported on the current status of projects and plans for demodn on December 13, 2024. As it became known, the list of particularly significant projects to replace imported software in the oil and gas industry is on hold, some of the projects are delayed.

In 2024, there was a noticeable increase in activity in the field of business applications, data platforms and industrial management systems on the market, but so far there is a dependence on foreign solutions in the field of high-performance computing, complex industrial systems and specialized software for analyzing geological exploration data.

The wave of DDoS attacks on the fuel and energy complex at the end of 2024

As Yulia Sonina, senior analyst of audits and compliance with the requirements of the Information Security Service of the UTSB, said, by the beginning of the current heating season, in the fall of 2024, a record increase in DDoS attacks on fuel and energy complex enterprises was recorded, so the impact of attacks of this type on the digitalization of the fuel and energy complex can be significant. As a result, companies that are at the initial level of information security (information security) maturity have to face new challenges. Currently, a significant share of such companies is working to expand the arsenal of information security tools for mitigating such events.

{{quote| It was the fuel and energy complex that entered the top 5 industries most susceptible to DDoS attacks. For example, at the end of 2024, there was an increase in such attacks on the websites of fuel and energy complex companies in the Siberian, North-West and Volga federal districts, "said Nikolai Maslov, an analyst-designer of the IT company SimbirSoft.}}

Financial losses from such incidents are composed of direct costs of system recovery and indirect losses from production downtime, loss of customers and reputational risks.

DDoS attacks can pose a threat to online services that fuel and energy companies provide to their customers. For example, energy sales companies have online personal account services as one of the main channels for collecting readings and paying for electricity. DDoS attacks on them can create risks of personal data leakage and theft of funds.

Also, technological processes implemented on the basis of the architecture of the Internet of Things (IoT) may be threatened. During an active DDoS attack, IIoT devices available from the Internet may lose the ability to exchange information with databases that are the core of the system, SCADA systems may be attacked. In addition, this type of attack is often used as a distraction to carry out other attacks, such as data theft or malware injection.

Countering DDoS attacks requires significant investments in security systems such as NGFW, IDS/IPS, distributed DDoS protection systems, and backup systems and infrastructure. This threat requires a comprehensive protection approach that includes multi-layered perimeter protection, activity monitoring, and implementation of rapid recovery mechanisms for critical functions. One of the negative consequences is an increase in cybersecurity spending, which reduces the return on investment. This slows down the digital transformation of the fuel and energy complex.

Industrial Automation Level

The level of automation of industrial systems in the Russian power can be called high, but the potential amount of work to improve is still very large. If we talk in detail, then in each individual case the level is directly related to the size of the enterprise and a number of other factors, that is, it varies very much.

As Viktoriya Reutskaya, head of business automation at IT company SimbirSoft, said, large energy companies have an automation level of more than 50%, as they invest significant funds in automation and continue to optimize their processes. But companies of a regional scale lag behind the giants, often this is due to a lack of funding, a shortage of personnel.

Enterprises realize that automation and data mining help save up to 15-20% of operating costs, as well as reduce accidents. Leading companies are implementing modernization programs for existing production facilities, switching to unified control and integrated process control systems.

In the fuel part of the fuel and energy complex there are production facilities built from scratch in the last 10 years with the involvement of foreign partners, EPM contractors and vendors. They are close to what lies behind the terms "digital production" and "digital doubles."

The departure of leading foreign equipment suppliers and the partial loss of expertise in the design and implementation of modern control systems hinder success. At the moment, large centers of competence are only being formed on the Russian market, which can take on the role of the main automation contractors instead of international companies that have left the market.

The situation with highly specialized software, including within the framework of automation of industrial systems, remains not fully clarified, since here import substitution requires the entire software and hardware complex. If the company uses foreign sensors, controllers and other equipment, then it will not be possible to control it using Russian software, and, as a rule, the manufacturer writes its own software for each equipment.

However, at present, the level of automation may not be so critical for the implementation of MBV (Management By Value) management. The tasks of effective automation of production accounting, consolidation of balances and optimization of planning remain a priority.

Trends in the Electric Power Industry

In the electricity generation segment, requirements for equipment reliability and reduced operating costs are growing. The main technological problems of the electric power industry remain large in volume losses, wear of equipment, emergency shutdowns. Analysis of losses, formation of proposals for measures to reduce them, determination of equipment critical for updating or maintenance, planning of M&R measures - all these are now tasks of digitalization and new generation information systems.

For the network complex, the development of TECont and analysis of the state of the networks, tracking inefficient areas, conducting commercial and technical accounting of electricity, automation based on IoT devices, as well as the formation of a single digital network model to ensure the reliability of power supply are relevant.

In the segment of electricity sales, along with the development of intelligent accounting systems, personal accounts and mobile applications, we can note an increase in demand for the use of chatbots and other digital solutions to improve the quality and reduce the cost of customer service.

The electric power industry is undergoing a revolutionary change, especially thanks to the development of smart grids. Such networks allow you to balance loads in real time, integrate renewable energy sources and reduce transmission losses, "said Irina Kuptsova, head of backend development at IT company SimbirSoft.

The expert noted the trend towards the development of microgrids and distributed generation, which is especially important for remote regions where the reliability of power supply plays a critical role. Demand management with smart meters and IoT solutions not only reduces the load on networks, but also gives end users the freedom to choose tariffs and regulate consumption. There are unified information platforms that allow you to monitor the entire cycle in real time - from generation to the end consumer.

Shortage of personnel

According to Dmitry Kichko, Vice President of the Borlas Group for Consulting, the shortage of personnel is observed on the side of the fuel and energy complex companies. For example, to implement complex projects for implementing ERP systems within the framework of import substitution, specialists are required both with a deep understanding of business processes and their implementation in historical systems, and with the skills of project management. In connection with the personnel issue, roadmaps are optimized towards sequential launch with less load on key resources instead of parallel launch of different projects and systems.

As for IT, personnel shortages are manifested both in a lack of personnel and in an increase in the speed of "migration" from place to place in a overheated labor market. At the same time, it cannot be said that this situation has a tangible impact on the process of digitalization of the industry as a whole: most enterprises have long built relationships with both vendors and integrators - access to the expert resource of the IT market allows closing emerging holes.

IT companies are implementing mentoring and coaching programs to develop employee competencies. The main focus is on cooperation with higher education institutions, the work on the targeted training of IT specialists is increasing.

Role of BT import substitution and infrastructure investment

Digitalization is closely related to computer import substitution processes, as digital solutions require powerful and reliable hardware. The volume of data processed is constantly growing, which requires a constant increase in the performance and efficiency of the resources used. And here it is necessary to calculate the risks of late delivery of domestic equipment with the required characteristics, which, theoretically, can arise at the active phases of the implementation of resource-intensive IT solutions. However, in general, experts do not note a significant impact on the pace and content of digitalization projects from the import substitution processes of VT. ENERGY INDUSTRY

Investments in enterprise infrastructure (as well as general economic: in telecommunications infrastructure, including broadband Internet and 5G mobile networks, cloud technologies and data centers, etc.) influence the digitalization of the fuel and energy complex. The fuel and energy complex traditionally relies on its own information and computing infrastructure. At the same time, there is an opinion on the market that in 2024 there were no trends that would signal the need for a significant increase in infrastructure investment.

2023

Digitalization of the fuel and energy complex: trends, prospects, the largest IT suppliers. TAdviser 2023 review

2021

Russian fuel and energy complex digitalization market: on the verge of new growth

According to a study conducted by SAP and Deloitte in 2020-2021, the fuel and energy sector is inferior in terms of digital maturity to banks, trading and telecommunications companies, consumer goods and automotive enterprises. If the level of "world best practices" when assessing the digital maturity of the fuel and energy complex is estimated by researchers at 3.7 out of 5 points, then in Russia this figure is 2.5.

Experts came to the conclusion that new technologies have significantly changed the market balance, leveled the traditional advantages of the Russian fuel and energy complex and force companies to change their strategy and introduce new initiatives. As the Deputy Minister of power of the Russian Federation Pavel Sorokin noted on the eve of the forum "Russian Energy Week" ^[6]Transformation of the fuel and energy complex in accordance with climate challenges is impossible without the introduction of modern digital technologies, in addition, digitalization allows improving operational efficiency and ensuring competitiveness in the global market.

The Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, together with representatives of the industry, is conducting great joint work to develop measures that will contribute to the accelerated introduction of digital technologies in the fuel and energy complex, Sorokin said.

At the same time, the last two years have been really difficult for the fuel and energy market, says Vladimir Leonov, technical director of AMT Group. According to him, the projects that started before the pandemic continued. This applies mainly to CII protection, network infrastructure optimization, asset management, etc., optimization IT projects. Projects were also carried out that directly affect operational activities. The rest were postponed.

We had planned several such projects that were supposed to start in 2020 - they were postponed first to 2021, then to 2022, - said Vladimir Leonov.

Ivan Shilov, an expert on working with industrial companies in SAS Russia/CIS, notes the recovery of the market after a turbulent period.

Companies began to raise their heads and, despite the barriers associated with the unstable macroeconomic situation and the following budget restrictions, began to launch initiatives related to improving operational efficiency and reducing risks in investment projects, he notes.

The Russian representative office of Siemens believes that the IT fuel and energy complex market, especially in the oil and gas sector, is on the verge of new growth associated with infrastructure investments in new production and processing capacities of large players.

Dmitry Sokolov, an expert at the Digital Production department of Siemens in Russia, notes that the drivers of the changes will be an increase in the complexity of technological processes, an increase in the cost of servicing assets, an increase in value and a lack of qualified personnel. As a result, solutions related to:

• optimization of technological processes based on digital twins and models,
• predictive analytics of equipment,
• risk-oriented infrastructure maintenance, based on a holistic representation of the state and history of assets "in numbers,"
• rapid training on simulators, remote control and technical support for the work of personnel at the site.

Timur Rakhimov, Head of TEK Enterprises at Satel, adds that the introduction of digital technologies in the fuel and energy complex allows achieving four main goals of the industry:

• ensuring cybersecurity and data exchange within companies,
• continuous monitoring of the state of the equipment and infrastructure of the industry,
• improving the reliability of the resource supply by reducing the accident rate and optimizing the time for troubleshooting,
• Reduce network losses.

Thus, by 2024, the digitalization of the fuel and energy complex will reduce the duration of power outages by 5%, increase the technological level of facilities by 5%, and reduce the number of accidents on networks by 20%.

At the same time, outdated equipment, reduced budgets for the introduction of innovative technologies and a shortage of specialists who can not only establish, but also control the work of digital solutions, hinder the global automation of the industry.

Dmitry Kichko, General Director of Edit Pro Group of Companies, among the barriers to the Russian IT market in the fuel and energy complex also refers to the desire of the leadership of industry companies to manage them in accordance with established traditions.

In many cases, its representatives still believe that enterprises can limit themselves to introducing basic IT solutions, for example, EDMS and ERP, the expert notes.

Pavel Sergienko, General Director of Infopro Group of Companies, also attributes the low digital maturity of power enterprises and insufficient support from the state to restraining factors.

The last announced barrier is designed to eliminate the strategic direction of the digital transformation of the fuel and energy complex, approved at the end of December 2021 by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin^[7]

The document assumes the introduction of the following technologies in the industry:

• Big Data
• neurotechnologies;
• Artificial intelligence - for big data analysis and support and decision-making systems;
• components of robotics and sensorics - to increase labor productivity, development and operation of hard-to-reach deposits in order to ensure the safety of life and health of employees of the fuel and energy complex;
• wireless communication - to monitor and diagnose facilities and employees of the fuel and energy complex, including to ensure their safety, reduce the number of emergency situations and injuries.

In addition, the introduction of radioelectronic products (including when introducing robotic solutions, digital personal protective equipment) of Russian origin is envisaged.

The strategic direction of the digital transformation of the fuel and energy complex was approved by Mishustin for the period until 2030. It should contribute to the accelerated transition of the country's energy sector to new managerial and technological levels that provide the conditions for the development of the industry.

The largest participants in the Russian digitalization market of the fuel and energy complex

ENERGY INDUSTRY Russia The company became the leader in the rating of the largest IT suppliers in terms of revenue for 2020. SIGMA Its revenues from the implementation of IT projects in this area increased by 70.7% and reached 7843.6 million rubles. The top three also included companies and. I-Teco LANIT

A detailed rating is published in a separate article.

The most popular classes of IT systems in the fuel and energy sector

According to the TAdviser project database, among the various classes of IT solutions in the fuel and energy complex companies, enterprise resource planning systems () ERP and systems () are most in demand electronic document management EDMS. It is these solutions in the TAdviser database that account for the largest number of projects completed in three sectors of the fuel and energy complex -, and. power oil industry Data gas industry on other classes of systems are presented in the diagrams below.

Vendors of IT systems, most often implemented in the fuel and energy sector

For each class of IT systems implemented in certain industries, the TAdviser database allows you to identify the most popular solutions and vendors of these products. See the [1] [2]diagrams below for which companies are developing the systems most often implemented in the Russian power, as well as in the oil and gas industry.

2020

Assessment of the demand of the Russian fuel and energy complex for advanced digital technologies at the level of 30.7 billion rubles.

According to estimates by the Institute for Statistical Research and Economics of Knowledge (ISIEZ), HSE the demand for Russian the fuel power complex () ENERGY INDUSTRY for advanced digital technologies in the next decade may grow 13.5 times (from 30.7 billion rubles in 2020 to 413.8 billion rubles in 2030). The HSE announced this on January 20, 2022. Using big data the iFORA analysis system, ISIEZ specialists considered the most promising digital technologies of the fuel and energy complex at the angle of their representation in the global research and market agenda.

The calculations were made on the basis of more than 169 thousand sources selected by the iFORA system algorithms from an array of highly cited foreign publications for 2020,

1st place in market analytics and 2nd place in scientific research are occupied by active-adaptive networks (smart grid) used in centralized power systems. These technologies provide reliability and increase the efficiency of energy transfer by integrating various types of devices of generating organizations, energy suppliers and consumers into a single environment.

Smart meters (3rd place in research and 2nd place in the market) contribute to economical energy consumption: they track its consumption in real time and transmit information to the consumer (for energy management) and the resource supplying organization (for making decisions on optimizing the use of infrastructure facilities).

Based on digital technologies, new business models are emerging, in particular promoting the wider use of green energy. The most common of them - "Energy as a Service" (7th place in the ranking of research and 3rd among popular business solutions) - allows you to receive energy management services and use the equipment of power supply companies for a subscription fee.

The top deserted energy extraction technologies - a digital mine and a digital field - close the top. Such projects usually cover all major exploration, production and logistics processes and allow for improved production and economic performance. Despite the demand for new methods of mining fossil energy resources, their share in the energy balance is gradually decreasing, as well as investments in new mining projects.

Many popular technological directions in science are also in demand on the market. The most current technologies are designed for final energy consumption. In the research agenda, 11 out of 15 technologies are used by consumers and requests, in the market - 12, which indicates an increase in the role of consumers. Many of the listed technologies are interconnected, so the development of some solutions will lead to wider adoption of others.

How was 2020 for the IT market in the fuel and energy complex

The fall of the Russian IT market in 2020 may be about 8% in dollar terms, IDC analysts suggest. Such a scenario is also very likely for the IT market in the fuel and energy complex, since the pandemic has led to a sharp decrease in economic activity on a global scale and the instability of global energy markets. Energy demand declined sharply, putting significant pressure on market prices.

The main blow fell on companies, one way or another, related to the production, processing, transportation of oil and gas. Companies are beginning to optimize budgets, including, of course, budgets for the development of information technology, - informed TAdviser technical director of TegrusAlexander Mikhailov.

Roman Ostapchuk, Deputy General Director for Technical Development of Step Logic, noted that by cutting budgets, industry companies began to make additional requirements and conduct additional checks on the planned economic efficiency of IT systems, which greatly complicated the decision-making structure.

We note a decrease in investment in IT development in the oil and gas industry. Each investment of money is carefully assessed in terms of the expected effectiveness of investments and potential risks, "Sergei Ponomarev, technical director of the ASCON integrator department, told TAdviser.

The situation with the implementation of projects on the market is ambiguous. On the one hand, the timing of a number of projects was significantly reduced, on the other hand, many companies in the industry postponed the implementation of large projects to modernize the IT infrastructure to a later time.

According to RAMAX Group Sales Director Alexander Savchenko, the industry postponed projects that are not directly related to the provision of operating and economic activities, and all new initiatives were much more carefully analyzed - mainly for payback on the horizon up to one year.

Thus, we are dealing with a full-scale revision of previously approved programs for the digitalization of business functions, - concluded Alexander Savchenko.

At the same time, in some sectors of the fuel and energy complex, namely in the electric power industry, a number of specialists noted a more favorable situation.

I do not argue that the pace of development is not as fast as, for example, in retail. But power is not the industry where, due to 2-3 solutions, most business processes can be automated. Here we work with federal-level companies and complex infrastructure, plus the industry itself is key to the economy as a whole and the quality of life of every person. Therefore, all steps should be gradual and conscious, - said Sergey Kolodey, CEO of Sigma, in a conversation with TAdviser.

However, by the end of 2020, the interest of serious industry players in large IT projects still began to return. As a result, business activity in the IT market for the fuel and energy complex also increased.

I associate this not only with the closure of the calendar year, but also with the "addiction" of the industry to a pandemic, remote work, as well as the realization that in such conditions it is possible and necessary to work even more successfully than before, - said TAdviser, director of business development at TEK Technoserv Consulting Igor Okhrimenko.

In 2021, due to projects postponed by many industry players in 2020, the information technology market for the fuel and energy complex is likely to increase.

Level of digitalization of energy industry

Energy companies are going through the stage of active digitalization of key processes, which began a few years ago. The main goal of enterprises in the introduction of information technologies, according to the vice-president of the Borlas group Arkady Karev, is to increase productivity and ensure uninterrupted operation of energy facilities. It should be noted that most enterprises in the industry are already seriously investing in their IT structures.

All players in the fuel and energy complex market are most seriously engaged in the tasks of digitalization. Moreover, the transition to digital affects literally everything among industry players: business processes of interaction within, with contractors and customers. The industry wants to automate all areas in which human labor can be excluded. For example, we recently calculated a project for robotic sanitary treatment of premises - offices and industrial facilities - one of the fuel and energy complex enterprises, "Mikhail Yusupov, project manager of the Reksoft IT company, told TAdviser.

Almost all enterprises of the fuel and energy complex have a large layer of IT solutions that close such areas as geophysical research, geological exploration, process control, etc. The ICT infrastructure is also doing pretty well, as it is the backbone of the IT landscape and must be kept up-to-date at all times. However, the composition of the solutions used and the degree of automation of business processes among enterprises of various sub-sectors of the fuel and energy complex vary greatly.

It is quite difficult to assess the level of digitalization of the fuel and energy complex. This is like a well-known example with an average temperature in a hospital, when there is a lot and good somewhere, and somewhere it is completely difficult and so-so. In general, it seems to be normal, but these are exclusively statistics. However, nevertheless, one can single out the most "advanced" in terms of informatization of the fuel and energy complex sub-industry, which, for objective reasons, include enterprises whose activities are related to the provision and accounting of electricity, the nuclear industry, - said Oksana Vysochanskaya, director of work with key clients of Hi-Tech, in a conversation with TAdviser.

The general director of Sigma, Sergei Kolodey, notes that for many enterprises from the energy sector, the issues of automation of basic business processes are still relevant: for example, reporting and document management. But there are those who are already introducing innovative products in the field of IoT, artificial intelligence, etc.

According to Vladimir Leonov, Technical Director of AMT Group, electric power companies are most actively introducing new technologies, and oil and gas companies are in second place.

Coal mining companies are a little more conservative, nevertheless, digital transformation is also underway there, - said Vladimir Leonov.

In the opinion of Yulia Kudryavtseva, director of strategic development at Forsyth, the coal industry is still just starting large-scale IT projects. Electric power enterprises are engaged in digitalization "quite actively." One of the leaders in the use of digital technologies, in her opinion, is the oil and gas industry.

An obvious indicator of the level of development of information technologies in the industry is the beginning of its enterprises creating their own competence centers for the most significant "end-to-end technologies": blockchain, artificial intelligence, robotization, artificial and augmented reality, unmanned aerial vehicles, etc. However, the role of information technology in the industry is still great only in servicing current needs. They still have a rather weak influence on the development of the fuel and energy complex.

The reason for this situation, according to Valery Milykh, head of the IoT group at Softline, is that many technical processes and equipment at industry enterprises appeared back in the distant 1960-70 years, then IT systems were introduced mainly to maintain the minimum necessary technological operations. His goal, in turn, was to achieve the minimum necessary result.

Unfortunately, many industrial enterprises, including those from the fuel and energy sector, are still showing not very high interest in digitalization. Of course, there are reasons for this - this is the high dependence of the IT market on foreign products, and the lack of a regulatory framework for regulating the digital economy. But I would like to note that the state is taking active steps to eliminate these barriers by stimulating demand for modern IT solutions, developing import substitution, and forming a legislative framework, "Vladimir Leonov told TAdviser.

Valery Milykh, in turn, drew the publication's attention to the decrease in the competitiveness of "traditional" technological solutions, caused by the fact that "time dictates other priorities, and the structure of consumers of fuel and energy services is changing."

According to some estimates, it is necessary to raise the efficiency of fuel and energy complex enterprises by at least 30% in order to provide them with confident positions in the near future. Nevertheless, the development is underway and the introduction of digital technologies by energy companies is in the focus of the Russian government, "Valery Milykh assured TAdviser.

IT Barriers and Drivers in the Fuel and Energy Sector

The main modern driver of digitalization and at the same time its barrier is undoubtedly the coronavirus pandemic. According to Sergei Kolodey, on the one hand, it provoked a difficult economic situation and, as a result, a revision of long-term projects, on the other, it gave a powerful incentive for the operational modernization of existing IT systems and the use of new technologies - for example, mobile technologies for interacting with consumers, optimizing infrastructure and equipment maintenance. However, other incentives and obstacles are also noticeable in the digitalization market of the Russian fuel and energy complex.

Barriers

One of the barriers to the digitalization of the fuel and energy complex is the lack of a strong innovative and industrial policy of the state, as well as quite a lot of pressure on it "new power."

Consumers are already beginning to compare the conditions for the provision of services by traditional fuel and energy enterprises with alternative ones. However, so far the fuel and energy complex is the basis for the country's development, the basis on which all subsequent production is built, which, in many ways, determines the competitiveness of the complex's products in the domestic and foreign markets. "Green power" and local generating capacities are not able, at least for now, to meet the needs of large groups of industrial enterprises and be the key to the country's energy security, - said Softline expert Valery Milykh.

The increasing global trend towards the development of distributed generation and hybrid power supply systems also has its negative impact on the fuel and energy complex, and, as a result, its digitalization.

The Russian market in this area follows the world one with some delay, but we will also be there. Accelerating the change of generations of technologies in power - the introduction of renewable sources, energy storage systems and hybrid power plants, distributed generation, intelligent management of energy facilities, intelligent consumption of energy resources, etc., leads to a reduction in the life cycle of IT systems and solutions. It is necessary to offer solutions with a quick return on investment, "Oleg Bezgin, director of ERP practice at the Digital Economy League group of companies, told TAdviser.

The development of digitalization of the fuel and energy complex is also complicated by a significant amount of equipment developed at the previous stage of technology development - in the middle and end of the last century. It is still in operation, functioning properly, has the necessary margin of reliability, but does not meet modern requirements when it comes to, for example, digital and intelligent networks. Replacing this equipment within a reasonable time, due to the pace of digitalization, also requires additional investment.

The development of information technologies in the industry is also negatively affected by a decrease in the qualification of personnel serving its technological equipment. This sad phenomenon occurs due to a decrease in the prestige of this type of activity and requires minimizing the participation of people in the management of fuel and energy complex systems. At the same time, technologically re-equipping industry enterprises is difficult and expensive, and the prospects for obtaining personnel with a high level of competence to work with new technologies, according to Valery Milykh, are quite vague.

An obstacle to the digitalization of the fuel and energy complex is also the lack of qualified specialists in the IT sector and at the junction of these two industries: on the ground, there are not enough specialists of the required level who would have the necessary knowledge and competencies, would be able to comprehensively assess the level and complexity of the task, build a step-by-step implementation strategy, prioritize the implementation of each of the stages, select resources and build a clear scheme of interaction to solve the tasks.

For several dozen companies - units of successful cases of digital transformation projects. Often, the fulfillment of tasks related to the digitalization of production ends at the level of automation of only one of the processes, "says Tatyana Konstantinova, director of the center for solutions for the industrial sector of RDTECH.

In addition, fuel and energy complex companies operate exclusively on their own infrastructure, although the global trend that has affected even very large organizations is the transition to external cloud platforms.

I admit that in the case of the fuel and energy complex, this is due to the fact that industry enterprises are among the critical infrastructure facilities of the Russian Federation. However, the transfer to the clouds of certain non-critical systems for business would significantly speed up the processes of putting new solutions into commercial operation, - believes Mikhail Yusupov, project manager of the IT company Reksoft.

In turn, Arkady Karev nevertheless notices a "cautious interest" in the use of cloud technologies among the fuel and energy complex enterprises. In his opinion, it is connected with the fact that in the conditions of increased requirements for data security and uninterrupted operation of energy facilities, industry companies retain some distrust of the "clouds."

Among the barriers to the digitalization of the fuel and energy complex, which have an IT nature, one can single out the industry's need for rather complex products, which for many reasons cannot be universal. This feature leads to a decrease in the development and implementation of these solutions, as they are preceded by serious survey and design work.

In 2020, several attempts were made to create universal solutions for the logistics of the fuel and energy complex, but the development of a single platform remains a difficult task, which can be solved only in certain sectors of the industry, - said Dmitry Parshin, director of the development center of Artezio (part of the Lanit Group of Companies).

Another barrier is the lack of an integrated integrated information system at the level of the entire organization.

In practice, we are faced with examples when more than 10 different information systems are used in one business process, the data of which contradict each other. As a result, the risks of making decisions based on irrelevant information increase. Ultimately, this translates into a delay in the construction of fuel and energy complex facilities and their rise in price, "Sergei Ponomarev told TAdviser.

It should be noted that the many IT systems available in industry enterprises can also lead to the emergence of their "unmanaged" population.

Enterprises massively equip equipment with sensors, but there are not many systems on the market that can effectively process these volumes of information and draw effective, well-interpreted conclusions, "said Valery Milykh.

No less acute for the industry is the problem of information security.

If earlier enterprises were actually "black boxes," now, with the introduction of digital technologies, they are becoming a "tidbit" for external penetrations, especially since today the share of imported solutions in the field of fuel and energy complex reaches 80-90%, - notes Valery Milykh.

Oleg Bezgin also drew TAdviser's attention to the decentralization of the systems and processes of Russian energy companies, which takes place despite the common identity of their operating activities.

But recently we have seen more and more steps to create unified solutions, for example, the creation of a single portal of technological connections, the launch of pilot projects for digitalization by Rosseti, the creation of unified (interregional) control centers for distribution electric networks in several regions of Russia. But these are only the first steps on a long path of centralization, so the possibilities of obtaining economies from the scale of the introduction of standardized digital technologies are still very significant here, "Oleg Bezgin said in a conversation with TAdviser.

The lack of maturity of domestic IT solutions is another obstacle for the industry.

Despite the presence of separate solutions that correspond to the world level, for example, the complexes of operational dispatch, technological and situational management "SK-11" and "Kotmi-14," the general level of maturity of Russian technologies is still lagging behind advanced foreign developments, - Oleg Bezgin said in a conversation with TAdviser.

At the same time, in this situation, in his opinion, "it is difficult to blame Russian manufacturers."

World leaders have access to the global market, which is an order of magnitude larger than the Russian one, and in the corporate sector, in the vast majority of cases, solutions are created with the money of the clients themselves. In addition, imported products often went much further along the experience curve than Russian developments, even often with much greater scientific and innovative potential, and significant investments were made in them. So here, in my opinion, we have a typical problem of chicken and eggs - competitive Russian solutions will not appear until Russian clients begin to invest in their development and begin to actively implement them, even on an initiative basis, - concluded Oleg Bezgin.

The barrier to the development of information technologies in the fuel and energy complex is the historical heritage of the industry - the "zoo" of a wide variety of IT systems. They can get along with each other, but there is often no need to talk about the effectiveness of such a symbiosis.

In addition, the industry's lack of understanding of the differences in the specifics of developing individual solutions, which can be diametrically multidirectional in terms of structure, scope of implementation, composition of participants, terms and stages of implementation, plays a negative role. Some companies see digital transformation in one unit of automation or digitalization of a certain segment and do not move on. Others - form requests comprehensively, without developing a phased implementation, and, of course, face execution problems.

In my opinion, coordinating the digital transformation project and involving external co-executors to implement the tasks set, the company needs to work with an experienced contractor to develop an implementation strategy, stage and priority in each area, set clear deadlines, achieve budget consistency for each stage and understand the structure and role composition of the project team. Tatyana Konstantinova, director of the center for solutions for the industrial sector "RDTeX," said in a conversation with TAdviser.

Drivers

One of the key drivers of the development of domestic information technologies in the fuel and energy complex is, of course, the state's import substitution policy, as well as a direct ban on Western vendors from supplying software to Russian enterprises from the sanctions lists. The devaluation of the ruble also plays a role, due to which the cost of Western solutions has increased significantly.

The number of drivers for the digitalization of the fuel and energy complex as a whole should include the need to ensure the operation of equipment previously installed at enterprises of the industry until its full utilization. Smart Wells, Digital Twin Refinery, Intelligent Field allow you to extract the maximum from existing systems and fields with minimal threat to people and the environment.

At the same time, a "seamless" connection of old and new systems, gradually put into operation, is possible, which is achieved by harmonizing heterogeneous data collection and processing systems and control systems using IT solutions. With the use of modern technologies, the issue of ensuring safety and stability of work can also be solved, - said Valery Milykh.

The development of information technologies in the fuel and energy complex is also positively affected by the decline in oil reserves in the world as a whole and the increasingly difficult conditions for its production.

The cost of producing a barrel of oil is constantly growing, and modern technologies can help both in the exploration of new fields and in reducing the cost of developing existing ones, "said Ivan Khovavko, head of the digitalization division of the fuel and energy complex of Force - Development Center (Force Group).

The largest IT suppliers in the fuel and energy complex

According to revenue for 2019, Lanit, I-Teco and Tegrus became the largest IT suppliers in the fuel and energy complex of Russia. They account for more than a third of the total revenue of IT suppliers in the top 30.

A detailed rating is published in a separate article.

Read also

• Digitalization of fuel and energy complex. TAdviser 2021 Review
• Information technologies in the fuel and energy complex. TAdviser 2020 Review
• Russian power Automation Market
• IT in power. TAdviser Overview

Notes