Energy international: Power specialists from across all Russia have assisted to restore electricity supply of the Moscow Area

A huge number of trees fell upon PL wires as a result of the ice storm of 25 – 26 December in the Moscow Area. Considering the scale of the blackout of the electric grids caused by the abnormal weather conditions, the emergency response team mobilized and sent repair brigades to the Moscow Area from other regions of Russia in the shortest terms. 

Already on 26-27 December, the brigades of IDGC of Center from Yaroslavl, Ryazan, Orel, Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk and other cities of the Central Russia made for the Moscow Region. Soon more than 250 people grouped in 51 mobile brigades started to restore electricity supply together with the specialists of MOESK. 

In particular, the Tambov and Yaroslavl branches of IDGC of Center sent 4 brigades each to the branch of MOESK – Eastern Electric Grids (Noginsk); 4 brigades provided by Orelenergo, 3 – by Kurskenergo and 3 – by Lipetskenergo were sent to Western Electric Grids (the cities of Naro-Fominsk, Ruza, Novo-Petrovsk), 3 brigades from Bryanskenergo worked with Central Electric Grids of MOESK. 

Soon the power specialists from IDGC of Center and Volga Region, JSC joined them.

“The second group” was represented by 43 brigades of power specialists from Rostov and Vologda and the brigades of contractors from Orenburg and Tyumen, who went to the rescue of Moscow people on the very eve of New Year.

“The third group” arrived to help them from IDGC of Northern Caucasus.

For today, the mobile emergency elimination brigades from the branches of IDGC of North-West; JSC “Kubanenergo”; IDGC of South, JSC; IDGC of Center and Volga Region, JSC work in the Moscow Region. Fifteen brigades of JSC “Lenenergo’s” branches (more than 80 people and 24 units of special equipment) and 10 brigades of the branches of IDGC of Northern Caucasus, JSC (more than 30 people and 11 units of special equipment) also arrived to help JSC “MOESK”. The groups include the brigades of JSC “UES FGC” and the contract organizations of IDGC Holding.

The “hot reserve” of JSC “Lenenergo”, IDGC of Northern Caucasus, etc. includes tens of the brigades equipped with special instruments and ready to come to the aid on the first signal.

In total 52 thousand people and over 1,500 units of special equipment participated in liquidation of the consequences of technological failures in the Moscow Area (with the running total). Simultaneously around 600 brigades and more than 2.5 thousand people of the personnel worked selflessly at the lines.

In total more than 200 power lines, more than 120 substations of 35-220 kV, more than 9.5 thousand transformer substations of 6-10/0.4 kV were restored in the Moscow Area during these days. Electricity supply of more than 200 thousand consumers was restored. The power specialists removed over 50 thousand of forest plantings from power lines, which enabled elimination of the threat of blackout at certain sites due to short circuits caused by trees falling under the ice load.

The national electric power industry has faced such scale of damages under the influence of the natural factor and such volume of rehabilitation actions for the first time ever.

Now the emergency elimination works proceed. The emergency response team created by the Ministry for Power Industry of Russia continues to coordinate the work of the companies and other departments - the generalized reports on the situation are provided twice a day. The round-the-clock watch of the emergency elimination brigades introduced in the power companies under the order of S. Shmatko, Minister for Power Industry will be preserved until complete recovery of the power supply in the region. The information received from MOESK’s “hotline” shows a significant reduction in the number of citizens’ applications in respect of breaks in power supply.