Trends of Technological Disturbances
In order to improve the efficiency, reliability and safety of power production, JSC IDGC of the North-West developed and implemented sixteen target programs for the reconstruction and technical re-equipment of power grid facilities:
- comprehensive condition survey program for power transformers of 35 kV and above and with a capacity of 16 MVA and above, more than 30 years old;
- Program for replacement of leaking and oil-filled 110-150 kV bushings with solid insulation bushings;
- Program for replacement of current and voltage measuring transformers which have reduced insulation and do not provide a required class of load measurement accuracy;
- Program for replacement of breaker-short circuitors and oil switches of 35 and 110 kV with gas-insulated (vacuum) ones;
- Program for replacement of oil circuit breakers or switchgear cells equipped with oil circuit breakers of 6-20 kV with vacuum circuit breakers;
- Program for equipment of high-voltage switchgear cells of 6-20 kV with arcing fault protection;
- Program for automation of power distribution grids with teleautomation and installation of reclosers;
- Program for development and installation of non-destructive diagnostic devices for control and monitoring of electrical equipment;
- Program for reconstruction of 110-150 kV disconnectors including replacement of cylindrical post insulation with the polymer one or with high-strength porcelain, and equipment with electric drives;
- Program to improve the lightning-proof system of electrical grids, replacement of worn out 6-150 kV lightning protectors with surge arresters and replacement of ground wires;
- 0.4-20 kV grid reconstruction Program including replacement of the bare wire with SIW;
- survey Program of foundations of metal poles and concrete pillars of 110-150 kV HVL after 40 years of operation;
- Program for modernization of Relay Protection and Automatic Equipment and Emergency Control Automatics;
- Program for replacement of open rechargeable lead/acid batteries with non-serviceable sealed batteries;
- Program for equipment of production departments of the branches with specialized machinery, modern mobile laboratories and vehicles;
- Program for improvement of parts of 0.4-150 kV HVL lines crossing roads, railways, rivers in accordance with the requirements of normative and technical documentation.
Technological Disturbances
| Indicators |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
| Number of accidents, including: |
6,168 |
11,758 |
11,684 |
13,336 |
10,608 |
| impact of natural disasters |
2,005 |
2,022 |
1,838 |
1,849 |
2,409 |
| impact of third-party persons and organizations |
497 |
551 |
1,006 |
902 |
1,057 |
| Lost electricity, thousand kW⋅h |
2,882.8 |
2,344.8 |
2,456.9 |
6,337.6 |
5,249.18 |
| Supply interruption, hours |
54,829.6 |
11,977.3 |
104,666.9 |
76,534.4 |
27,894.03 |
| Economic damage, RUB thous. |
212,404.3The economic damage caused to the Company in 2010 by natural disasters was the most significant. Cyclones accompanied by hurricane winds affected the Vologda, Novgorod and Pskov Regions as well as the Republic of Karelia. |
48,313.2 |
46,679.0 |
70,367.2 |
67,514.24 |
The largest number of technological failures (emergencies) in 2014 was due to the insulation aging (breakdown), trees falling on the HVL wires and atmospheric overvoltage (lightning).
In 2014, the number of main technological failures was reduced:
- insulation aging (breakdown) by 6%,
- caused by falling of trees by 41%.
The number of outages due to atmospheric overvoltage (lightning) in 2014 increased by 37%.
The level of outages due to unauthorized actions of individuals or organizations remains high. The Company takes measures to identify guilty persons and recover damages, conducts explanatory work with the population.
A significant number of failures at the 6-35-110 kV HV lines is due to extreme weather conditions: heavy snowfalls, snowstorms, high humidity, resulted in an intense build-up of snow and rime ice deposits on wires, which significantly exceed the standard rime thickness. This results in wire collapsing and breakage, damage to fixtures.
In 2014, as a result of abnormally high lightning activity in Murmansk Region and Karelia Republic there was an increase in outages due to insulation damages.
