Hotline of power engineering specialists:
Specialists of IDGC of Centre - Smolenskenergo division (part of ROSSETI’s Group) since the beginning of the current year have found non-contractual illegal cable suspensions of fiber-optic communication lines (FOCL) and other types of cables, as well as video cameras, road signs, advertising structures at 489 facilities of the electric grid company.
According to paragraph 8 of the Rules for establishment of protected zones of electric grid facilities and special conditions for use of land plots located within borders of such zones, approved by Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of 24 February 2009 No. 160, it is prohibited to perform any actions that may violate safe operation of electric grid facilities, including result in damage or destruction, and (or) cause harm to life, health of citizens and property of physical persons or legal entities, including placing on wires and poles of foreign objects, as well as to climb overhead power line poles.
This also applies to fiber optic cables, which are installed in violation of current electrical safety standards without prior approval from the power engineers. Such actions of the owners of fiber optic links make it difficult to carry out repair, maintenance and emergency repair work on overhead power lines. The weight of the fiber optic cable and its tension between the poles requires the computation of the load on the pole, as it may be critical for a specific pole and lead to its fall and, as a result, to a disruption in the power supply of consumers, as well as to accidents. Persons carrying out unauthorized suspensions violate the laws of the Russian Federation, put their lives at undue risk and interfere with the operation of the power grid.
“The poles of street lighting and power lines are part of the power grid complex, which performs the function of delivering electricity. To ensure uninterrupted and reliable power supply to consumers, along with the rest of the electrical equipment, the power engineers regularly conduct inspections of overhead lines, service them, paint metal parts to increase corrosion resistance and protect against weather phenomena, repair them, if necessary. Incompliant with the grid company suspensions often make it difficult to carry out the work,” commented Alexander Voitsekhovsky, the head of the customer relations office.
Another problem that arises in cities and large settlements is the posting of ads and attachment to the poles of illegal advertising structures. There are often cases where careless advertisers completely cover poles with advertisements in several layers, install advertisement banners, signs, and tablets. Such things complicate the maintenance of poles, interfere with their inspection, painting and identification of possible defects and faults. Smolenskenergo’s specialists are forced to carry out regular work on cleaning street lighting poles and power lines from ads and various advertising structures. Crews of electricians, in addition to fulfilling their professional duties in the operation and maintenance of power grid equipment, have to spend time and money to bring the poles into a proper form.
Smolenskenergo warns that putting up ads outside specially designated areas, including on power line poles, is prohibited and punishable by a fine.
The branch intends to continue the work consistently to prevent unauthorized use of electric grid infrastructure facilities. To solve this problem, all opportunities provided by current legislation will be used.
On the basis of a valid contract of commercial representation concluded between IDGC of Centre, acting as the owner of electric power facilities and JSC “FOCL-Conductor Administration”, acting as attorney, the attorney is also a centre of competence for interacting with potential users of the infrastructure of IDGC of Centre, including in terms of the development of technical conditions for the placement of fiber optic lines on Conductors.
Thus, being guided by the conditions of the above contract, applications for the development and issuance of technical conditions for the placement of fiber-optic communication lines at the electric grid facilities of IDGC of Centre should be sent to JSC “FOCL-Conductor Administration”. The location address and contact phone number of JSC “FOCL-Conductor Administration”: Bolshaya Tatarskaya, 35, bld. 6, Moscow, 115184, +7 (495) 984 6631; +7 (495) 748 5500/984 6630.
