Hotline of power engineering specialists:
Employees of IDGC of Centre - Belgorodenergo division during the preparation for the season of maximum loads took part in large-scale joint exercises to eliminate consequences of failures at electric grid facilities of the region caused by unfavourable weather phenomena in low-temperature conditions.
The main goal of the event was to develop practical skills of quick response to elimination of damage to power equipment, organization of temporary schemes for power supply to socially significant facilities using backup power supply sources, improving interaction of power engineers with executive authorities, local self-government, specialists of the General Directorate of the EMERCOM of Russia in the Belgorod region, a branch of SO UES "Kursk Regional Dispatch Office", a branch of FGC UES - "Black Soil Region MES", a branch of Quadra - "Belgorod Power Generation", contractors.
According to the idea of the training, on the night of 14-15 December 2018, weather conditions deteriorated sharply in the Belgorod region. The temperature rose from minus 200C to 00C. Hurricane winds passed through the region at a speed of up to 20 metres per second, gusts up to 27-30 m/s and heavy snowfall. As of 9:30 am, due to sticking of wet snow on wires, falling of tree branches on lines, wetting of insulation 307 transformer substations, 16 overhead power lines of 6-10 kV were disconnected. The sharp deterioration in weather conditions led to an increase in the number of de-energized facilities throughout the region. The most unfavourable situation developed on the territory of Belgorod, Gubkinsky, Volokonovsky, Valuisky, Belgorodsky and Shebekinsky districts.
In addition, the bad weather provoked a traffic accident. At 9:40 am dispatchers received a message about the impact of vehicles on the pole of the 110 kV "Belgorod-Khimzavod" power line with a tap on the 110 kV "Shebekino" substation. Due to the fall of the pole, the supply of electricity to consumers powered from the 110 kV "Shebekino" substation was interrupted. At the 330 kV "Belgorod" substation of FGC UES, the equipment providing the communication of power facilities failed. As a result, more than 24 thousand residents of 6 districts of the region, 78 socially significant facilities were de-energized.
The energy company immediately began to eliminate the damage. The situation was taken under control of the headquarters for ensuring the security of power supply in the Belgorod region. The operational headquarters of IDGC of Centre - Belgorodenergo division provided the organization of emergency recovery operations. Participation in its composition of representatives of other energy companies in the region, contract organizations, specialists of the EMERCOM of Russia in the Belgorod region allowed to quickly solve the tasks of interaction and mutual assistance. The monitoring of the situation was carried out by experts of the headquarters of IDGC of Centre and the situational and analytical centre of "Rosseti".
After receiving data on mass outages Belgorodenergo introduced a special mode of operation. Mobile units of the branch, equipped with necessary forces and means to restore the power supply to consumers, got ready for operation. Delivery of necessary specialized vehicles to places of outage was provided. Specialists of the industrial safety and production control department preliminarily checked the availability of all necessary tools, devices and special means for the emergency recovery crews. For prompt interaction with consumers the Temporary Information Centre of the branch started working on the basis of the Contact Centre of the company.
First of all, the power engineers supplied power to socially significant facilities in the region, for which 24 mobile reserve power supply sources were used. 205 emergency response and repair crews of Belgorodenergo, 381 specialized vehicles, specialists from five contract organizations and all structures participating in the exercises took part in the emergency recovery works. To eliminate ice formation on wires of 110 kV overhead power lines, a new mobile ice melting installation was used.
As a result of well-coordinated joint actions, by 11:15 am the electricity supply to the de-energized consumers was restored.
Deputy Chief Engineer for Operation - Head of High Voltage Grids of IDGC of Centre - Belgorodenergo division Mikhail Malykhin stressed: "The exercises were successful. Once again, in practice, we became convinced of the high readiness of all services responsible for restoring power supply to consumers, to make quick decisions on eliminating technological violations caused by unfavourable weather events. We checked the ability of first responding staff to prevent the development of failures, involve additional forces and resources, including mobile crews and contractors’ employees. It was very important to develop practical skills of interaction and information exchange between Belgorodenergo, rescuers, Distribution Zones, the Unified duty and dispatch service-112 and all participants in the emergency recovery works, which is very important for the fastest possible electricity resupply to consumers."
