Russia’s power grid ready for winter 2018/2019, Rosseti head says

On 5 October, as part of the Russian Energy Week, a nationwide meeting was held to discuss the preparation of power and utility entities for the coming autumn-winter period. The meeting was attended by Alexander Novak, Energy Minister of the Russian Federation, and Vladimir Yakushev, Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation. PAO Rosseti head Pavel Livinsky told the gathering about measures taken by his company to ensure the reliability of the national power grid during the 2018/2019 autumn-winter season.

In particular, Livinsky stressed that the obligations Rosseti took a year ago to enhance the reliability and uninterrupted operation of consumer power supply had been fulfilled completely: “We have managed to significantly lower emergency levels in the power grid. Over the eight months of 2018, the average frequency of power outages dropped by 39%, the average duration of power cuts fell by 33%, and the number of technological disturbances in power lines of 110 kWt and higher decreased by 7% compared to the same period last year.”

Energy Minister Alexander Novak praised Rosseti’s efforts to improve the reliability of power supply for household consumers, noting that it was largely due to the company’s systemic work to upgrade its power grid as well as power line right-of-way clearing.

“RUB 64 billion has been allocated to maintenance and repair this year, up RUB 3 billion from last year,” Rosseti CEO reported. “Around 10,000 units numbering over 50,000 people have been formed to take part in repair and emergency operations. These teams are equipped with automobiles and special equipment exceeding 51,000 units to ensure 24-hour service. The grid system is ready to use over 5300 back-up sources of power supply with a total capacity of 417 mW,” Livinsky said.

Energy Minister Alexander Novak has supported Rosseti’s activity to conduct exercises in separate regions of Russia which are particularly vulnerable in terms of electricity supply due to the risk of massive power outages. He believes Rosseti’s experience can help restore fixed assets, cut costs and enhance reliability in the shortest possible term.

In his report Pavel Livinsky stressed that large-scale exercises had been held in the Republic of Dagestan last summer, leaving more than a million people with reliable and high-quality power supply as a result. Currently, Rosseti is monitoring power grid exercises in the Tver Region and in the Republic of Karelia, engaging over 8000 experts and around 1500 equipment units. 

Alexander Novak also gave instructions to step up measures aimed to consolidate power grid assets around Rosseti.

“As part of the company’s efforts to consolidate power grids, the group has consolidated transformer substations with a total capacity of 133 MVA and 1240 km of power lines. Another 320 facilities are next in line to be consolidated,” Livinsky added.

In his turn, Boris Ayuyev, CEO of System Operator of the United Power System, appreciated Rosseti’s efforts to shape and approve a roadmap for the development of the operational, technological and situational management in the power grid sector, which he said had greatly enhanced the reliability of the electricity grid operation and power supply of consumers.

The head of Rosseti has come up with an idea to cooperate with the municipal administrations of large cities to jointly cope with stress scenarios when burden on power grids increases multiply as a result of failures in the heating infrastructure. Alexander Novak has backed this initiative.