Hotline of power engineering specialists:
During four months of this year, power engineers of IDGC of Centre - Lipetskenergo division cleared more than 180 hectares of ROWs of overhead power lines from trees and shrubs.
The maintenance of overhead power lines in proper condition is under special control of Lipetskenergo, as according to statistics a significant part of technological violations at power facilities occurs due to falling of branches and trees on wires under influence of unfavourable weather conditions.
Since the beginning of the year, the territory has been cleared with a total area of 180.09 hectares, on which more than five million rubles have been spent. Until the end of 2018, the power engineers of the branch plan to clear 592.51 hectares. This is 117 hectares more than the previous year. In addition, for four months, ROWs were enlarged with an area of 58.21 hectares, until the end of the year the figure will grow to 160.
When clearing and expanding the ROWs, Lipetsk power engineers use special wood shredders - mulchers, which not only cut trees and bushes, but also grind them into chips. This reduces the risk of brush-wood fires. To cut off the crown of trees, located at an unacceptable distance from wires, the power engineers use aerials, which are in all Distribution Zones of Lipetskenergo. For manual clearing in settlements of the Lipetsk region, chainsaws and brush cutters "Husqvarna" are used, which do not require large physical efforts, but allow to significantly increase the productivity and safety of work.
"It is worthwhile to say about sawing trees near power lines in towns and villages of the region. Federal Law No. 131 laid the responsibility for the organization of landscaping and gardening of the territory on local government bodies. That is, city and village authorities must cut down trees, and then remove them. Lipetskenergo thanks for the work in this direction the administration of Gryazinsky district and local heads of rural settlements. Authorities of Zadonsky and Lebedyansky districts actively participate in providing reliable power supply. But Usmansky, Khlevensky and Lev-Tostovsky districts need to work more actively in this direction. After cutting down separately standing trees and sawing their branches, it will help avoid power outages in the future due to falling trees and branches on wires," stressed the deputy chief operating engineer - the head of the high voltage grids office Sergey Russky.
