Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) is the primary association for the European gas infrastructure industry. GIE facilitates seamless reporting of critical data to the European Commission – a vital process for monitoring the security of renewable, low-carbon, and natural gas energy supply in the European Union (EU). Navigating a landscape packed with regulatory complexities, GIE sought a solution that could streamline communication, ensure compliance, and support transparent reporting.
The challenge: Navigating regulatory complexity with precision
GIE operates within a web of regulatory requirements dictated by the European Legislation. Mandates like the network code and the revised Regulation on Energy Market Integrity and Transparency (REMIT II) necessitate adherence to Applicability Statement 4 (AS4) communication protocols. The Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators’ (ACER’s) stringent Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) encryption and Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) requirements add further complexity.
Given the industry’s push toward the use of AS4 as the standard protocol for regulatory reporting, GIE required a solution that could seamlessly integrate data received via AS4 from gas operators to facilitate transparent reporting to the European Commission on the inventory status of the gas infrastructure in the EU, as well as Unplanned Market Messaging (UMMs).
The geopolitical context has also exponentially stressed the importance of reliable, secure reporting on energy production and inventories in the EU. The high volume of messages and communications create the need for a streamlined and scalable solution to quickly onboard new trading partners and communicate with them in a reliable way.
Enter CData Arc, the catalyst behind GIE's journey toward operational excellence with regulatory reporting.
The solution: Versatility, reliability, and world-class support from CData Arc
GIE chose CData Arc as the best solution for its challenge. Arc offers unparalleled ease of use and robust connectivity with a breadth of API, database, and file transfer protocols. As a premier Drummond-Certified AS4 vendor, Arc provides the security and interoperability crucial for regulatory submission. Arc also has been endorsed by the European Commission as an accredited partner to support the transmission of regulatory reporting.
With support for encryption, decryption, and diverse file transfer protocols, Arc streamlines the end-to-end communication between gas operators all the way to ACER while ensuring data integrity and confidentiality. The tool’s strength in database integration enables GIE to consolidate data from gas operators and effortlessly publish it to their public-facing transparency platforms – Aggregated Liquified Natural Gas System Inventory (ALSI), Aggregated Gas Storage Inventory (AGSI), and Inside Information Platform (IIP).
Arc also provides GIE the flexibility to communicate with member companies through methodologies like SFTP (secure file transfer protocol), AS2, and API, which was a critical factor in their decision to invest in the tool.
Any-to-any mapping functionality and parallel processing capabilities further enhance GIE's operational efficiency and scalability, empowering swift onboarding of trading partners and granular monitoring of critical workflows. Backed by the world-class support team at CData, GIE gained additional confidence in working with global energy giants, knowing they have expert assistance every step of the way.
"We always tell our customers, 'If you want your AS4 setup to be easy, you should use Arc.' Leveraging Arc allows customers to be more standards-compliant and interoperable with us."
– David Defour, Gas Infrastructure Europe CTO
The result: GIE leads in gas infrastructure reporting
With CData Arc, GIE not only optimizes regulatory reporting processes but also cements its position as the cornerstone of gas infrastructure reporting in the European Union.
Deploying CData Arc helped GIE to efficiently manage the inflow of data from over 125 of the world's largest energy players, including industry giants like Engie, Snam, and Total Energies. GIE can now seamlessly consolidate large volumes of data from diverse trading partners, ensuring reliable and auditable compliance with regulatory mandates.
Arc has also seen widespread adoption by energy operators and producers throughout the EU, which allows for seamless interoperability between GIE and its trading partners.
Comprehensive support for encryption, decryption, and various file transfer protocols empowers GIE to communicate securely with ACER, meeting stringent regulatory requirements with ease. GIE leverages database integration capabilities from Arc to consolidate data from gas operators and publish it to transparency platforms used by thousands of users every day – essential to ensuring transparency and accountability in the energy supply chain.
By consolidating a breadth of communication protocols (like file transfer, API, and database connectivity) into a unified platform, GIE has achieved exceptional efficiency. Parallel processing capabilities, copy-and-paste workflow replication, and granular workflow monitoring mechanisms within Arc enable GIE to swiftly and confidently onboard new trading partners. This means that GIE can now achieve remarkable time-to-market, establishing connections with trading partners within hours.
Now, GIE recommends that its customers use Arc for regulatory reporting. David Defour, GIE CTO, said, "We always tell our customers, ‘If you want your AS4 setup to be easy, you should use Arc.' Leveraging Arc allows customers to be more standards-compliant and interoperable with us."
Experience the power of CData Arc
CData Arc has become an indispensable tool in streamlining AS4/Edigas regulatory reporting in the EU.
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