Hotline of power engineering specialists:
In 2012, IDGC of Centre — Tambovenergo division places special emphasis on the work of clearing and expansion of ROWs along power lines off trees and shrubs. The plan for clearing the ROWs is 355 hectares, to expand the ROWs this year — 117 hectares.
For the six months of 2012 the actual execution of ROW clearing was 277.4 ha against the plan of 178.5 hectares, which is 55.4% higher than the planned value. The actual execution of ROW expansion was 48.8 hectares. This figure is 16.2% higher than planned.
This year Tambov power engineers will extend ROWs along 13 power lines of different voltage levels off trees and shrubs. At the moment the expansion of ROWs with 100% utilization of forest residues along the three power lines completed: Conductor 35 kV “Degtyanskaya”, Conductor 10 kV of feeder № 3 of the substation “Factory”, Conductor 10 kV of feeder № 12 of the substation “Seleznevskaya”.
The clearing and expansion of ROWs is under way ahead of schedule. In addition, in 2012 IDGC of Centre — Tambovenergo division for the first time used a TERRION tractor with a timber mill ATM 4200 to clear ROWs along high-voltage power lines. One working day using a tractor with a wood cutter a power engineering crew makes two hectares of ROW clearing along power lines.
The tractor with a forestry cutter not only clears along the line, but it also utilizes slash residues in chips, quickly overcoming obstacles in its path. This method has proved to be the most efficient, economical and environmentally friendly. Thus, the combined use of new machinery can create the conditions for trouble-free operation of power facilities by increasing the fire and environmental safety of ROWs along power lines, and it saves labour forces significantly.
— Mechanized clearing today is conducted in several areas of the region. These advanced technologies should be used as effectively as possible, — underlined Deputy General Director of IDGC of Centre — Tambovenergo division director Vladimir Syschikov. — In the summer, every light day is important. Therefore, we try to redeploy our very existing equipment very quickly. Since interruption even of a single power line of 110 kV may cease an outage of a number of administrative districts. Therefore, we try to be proactive. Our main task is to prevent such emergency situations.
The clearing of the ROWs is being performed in preparation for the next autumn-winter. As a result of the activities the reliability of power supply of the Tambov region will be significantly improved.
A significant part of ROWs along overhead power lines passes through woodland. Trees and shrubs, growing in the vicinity of wires of overhead power lines, can cause faults in electric power facilities operation. That is why the work to bring the width of ROWs to the normative value and clearing the ROWs is one of the important conditions for ensuring the required level of reliability of high voltage electrical networks.