Caruna

iLOQ helps secure the safe and reliable distribution of electricity every day

Reference

Caruna is an electricity distribution company that operates throughout almost the whole of Finland. With 700,000 customers, and serving 1.5 million Finns in the network area, their goal is to safely and reliably distribute electricity every day.

Before installing iLOQ’s mobile access sharing solution, mechanical locks and physical keys were used across the power grid to secure approximately 200 substations and more than 10,000 customer properties. Access needs to be given to a team of over 1000 technicians, most of whom are external contractors.

With the old system, Caruna faced access management issues related to controlling the number of keys in circulation, who was using them and when. Traditionally, keys had to be collected and signed out for from a branch which caused a lot of hassle, excess traveling and processing of forms, with the inherent risk that those forms would be lost.

When considering a new system, important features for Caruna were overall access management, control of keys, ease of use and the compatibility of the system with their other functions. It was also vital that the locks and keys work when there is pouring rain, snow, sub-zero temperatures or even power outages.

With iLOQ’s mobile access sharing solution, access rights are sent remotely to iLOQ’s app running on a technician’s mobile phone. Those access rights can be updated and immediately cancelled as needs change. Caruna can now see, in real time, exactly who is getting access and where, and, if necessary, verify this from the access log.

iLOQ’s solution is maintenance-free. There are no batteries to change, no need to oil the locks, and no risk of the lock itself freezing. In the future, the system will also allow various digital integrations. For example, when an installer arrives and opens a lock, they may receive a message giving them safety and operating instructions for the site.

“I recommend iLOQ’s system because of its ease of use and its efficiency, which ensures reliable electricity distribution while saving the environment,” states Petteri Palmumaa, Maintenance Manager, Caruna Oy.