Billon Blockchain Test Project Aims to Advance Security, Reduce Paper Usage for Polish Energy Giant Tauron

• Billon launches a PoC project with Tauron, one of the biggest energy providers in Poland
• The companies are testing the possibility  to send and store contracts signed by Tauron’s clients and other documents on Billon’s distributed ledger, with a web-based platform providing access.  
• The solution will allow paperless sending and signing high-value documents, a feature saving costs and gaining importance in the times of social distancing

(Warsaw/London, May 11, 2020) Billon Digital Services, a fully-owned subsidiary of Billon Group, is testing blockchain storage and delivery of contracts for Tauron, Poland’s largest electricity provider, supplying over 5.5 million clients. The project levers the capacity of Billon’s secure enterprise DLT system to save and store complete high-value documents  on blockchain, together with remote signing and proof of delivery. The documents would be stored and available for any future reference, with the embedded immutability and tamper protection provided by the nature and architecture of Billon’s distributed ledger.

The pilot project includes a selected group of ca. 100 Tauron clients who were testing the solution until the end of April. Apart from individual contracts, Tauron can use Billon’s enterprise DLT to publish public documents, such as terms and conditions and general tariffs.

Filip Grzegorczyk, President of Tauron Management Board, comments: “Tauron looks for solutions to streamline operations and optimize business costs along the entire value chain, from energy production to customer relations. By introducing a secure digital tool to facilitate customer service we respond to the importance of digital technologies and their widespread use by consumers.”

The main driver for the project is to test how digital solutions can replace paper contracts delivery to enhance cost-effective and secure communications for customers. As Billon’s enterprise DLT is compliant with the EU-wide regulation on durable medium of information, Tauron will be able to move away from sending contracts by regular mail, saving on paper processing and postage. This is especially relevant in the current COVID-19 situation, as introducing digitised high value documents can help businesses to drop physical interaction and maintain social distancing.

Wojtek Kostrzewa, CEO of Billon Group, comments: “Blockchain ensures seamless and ultra-secure document management with no possibility of document modification without the knowledge of its parties, resistance to hacks and immutability of information stored on distributed ledger.”

The pilot project is supported by Microsoft which delivers Azure cloud infrastructure to host blockchain nodes. The Polish branch of the Redmond company is Billon’s technological partner in building solutions to publish high-value documents, such as diplomas and certificates, on-chain.

About Billon

Billon unleashed the transformational capabilities of blockchain, creating a high-performance distributed ledger technology (DLT) system which unifies national currency transactions, documents on-chain, and identity management. We overcame roadblocks preventing other blockchain protocols from mass business use and already have proven solutions in open banking core engines, instant incentives and loyalty solutions, micropayments, and GDPR-compliant document and privacy management. As a result, Billon is uniquely suited to help businesses in digital acceleration, digital transformation, and instant and seamless money transfers, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences.  

Billon Group Ltd. was founded in the UK in 2015, following several years of R&D in Poland. Its unique DLT protocol has been supported by many R&D grants, including the EU Horizon 2020 program. Billon is licensed to issue electronic money by regulators in the UK and Poland, and employs a global team of more than 80 professionals in its two offices in London and Warsaw.  Billon works to implement its technology commercially with leading business partners, such as FIS, Raiffeisen Bank International and BIK (the Polish credit office).

For more information, visit  www.billongroup.com.

About Tauron

TAURON Group is one of the largest business entities in Poland, with approximately PLN 16B equity and approximately 25 thousand employees. Core businesses of the TAURON Group include hard coal mining, generation, distribution and supply of electricity and heat. TAURON Group supplies approximately 49.7 TWh of electricity to over 5.6 million customers per year which makes it the largest distributor of electricity in Poland. It is also the second largest electricity generator and supplier in Poland and the largest supplier of heat in Upper Silesia. TAURON Group is also involved in numerous corporate social responsibility initiatives, including educational and charity activities. It is a sponsor of major cultural and sports events. TAURON cooperates with, among others, Polish Mountain Volunteer Rescue Service (GOPR), Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) and Polish Olympic Committee.

For more information, visit en.tauron.pl.

Media contact:

Billon: Maciej Józefowicz, Head of PR & Communication, maciej.jozefowicz@billongroup.com tel. 0048 608 325 796

Tauron: Łukasz Zimnoch, Press Officer,  lukasz.zimnoch@tauron.pl, tel. 0048 508 006 292