During work negotiations, held today in Moscow, the Governor of Tomsk region - Sergei Zhvachkin - and the Director General of Rosseti, JSC - Oleg Budargin - have discussed the results of a pilot project on transfer of TDC, JSC - the Russian grids company (a subsidiary of Rosseti, JSC) under the management of EDF East Grids (a subsidiary of EDF Group), which was the first step in the implementation of the Agreement on Strategic Cooperation. The meeting was attended by representatives of EDF Group.

'The decision to transfer the grids company to the management of EDF East Grids, LLC in 2012 was motivated, above all, by the desire of the Russian side to study international management experience,' noted Oleg Budargin during the discussion.

The TDC project has shown positive results, the main objectives of the Agreement have been achieved. The key objectives are reducing electricity loss and increasing infrastructure availability.

Thus, as a result of work in 2013, the energy loss level was reduced by 2.9% and in 2014 - already by 7.3%. The company has been actively working on the reduction of technological connection time limits. As a result, they have been reduced by a third from 285 days in 2012 down to 193 days in 2014.

At TDC, JSC a method to calculate consumer power supply reliability indices (SAIDI, SAIFI) was developed and put into operation, complying with international standards. In 2014 the SAIDI and SAIFI indices at TDC, JSC were considerably improved.

For the grids of TDC, JSC a pilot project was implemented to install the latest power grids equipment, the procurement activities of the company were reorganized. Under the management of EDF East Grids, systems of mobile brigades management, similar to those used at the moment by ERDF in France, were introduced into the organizational structure of TDC, JSC.

According to O. Budargin, 'these figures have been mainly achieved through the support of the management and administration of the subject'.

'I am convinced that this constructive and trusting relationship, developed between the region and Rosseti Group of Companies within recent years, will develop through new projects,' said the Head of Rosseti.

At the moment, taking into account the fact that a pilot project of TDC, JSC management has showed positive results through the early achievement of its main objectives, provided by the first stage of the Agreement on Strategical Cooperation, as well as taking into account a value appreciation of services under the Management Contract, connected with a change in an exchange rate, the Parties decided to terminate the Agreement and to complete the pilot project.

'Four years of joint work of Tomsk power engineers with French partners haven't passed in vain: we have integrated European management methods and energy saving technologies to our power sector, have significantly increased the efficiency of grids economy operation,' said the Governor, Sergei Zhvachkin, thanking EDF management for their cooperation.

At the same time, Rosseti Group and EDF Group have reached an agreement to continue their strategic cooperation, considering new forms of cooperation, including the discussion of possible future integration of European and Russian electric power systems, as well as utilization of experience gained through the management by EDF East Grids (France) of TDC, JSC for other subsidiaries of Rosseti Group. The decision to terminate the Management Contract will be approved at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of TDC, JSC.

Sergey Zhvachkin and Oleg Budargin have also discussed the pace and the prospects for implementation of a 'road map' to expand the use of Tomsk products and technologies, including for import substitution, for the needs of Rosseti.