Hotline of power engineering specialists:
In 2014 IDGC of Centre - Yarenergo division plans to expand 485 ha and clear 1,605 ha of ROWs along overhead power lines. Work will be performed both by power engineers and contractors.
Power engineers will pay special attention to the maintenance of ROWs of overhead lines in the coming year. The reason was the massive power outages in November and December 2013. Prolonged snowfall in conditions of constant temperature difference led falling branches and trunks of trees on wires near power lines, causing breaks and short circuit.
Most lines in the Yaroslavl region pass through woodlands. Expansion of ROWs is increasing the distance between the line and the wood edge from each side of the outer wire. Expansion is performed that the highest tree while falling could not touch the wire. According to the approved up to 2018 program Yarenergo annually extends 480-500 ha of ROWs. ROW clearing involves removing shrubs and small sprouting within the existing width of ROWs, including under wires of overhead lines. Small trees are also removed, which will pose a threat to overhead lines in several years. This is done not only for the "prevention": special vehicles can get to the place of work only on cleared ROWs, which greatly facilitates inspections of lines and work of maintenance personnel. The work has already begun and is being implemented by staff of Distribution Zones – on 10-0.4 kV lines and by staff of high-voltage grids Office (both with subcontractors and their own forces) – on 110-35 kV lines. Separately, it is planned to clear more than 5 thousand freestanding trees located in the exclusion zone of overhead lines and beyond, threatening to fall on wires.