Find out what measures are taken by power engineers to protect power lines from the winter elements

What power engineers do to protect power lines from the winter disaster, said First Deputy General Director - Chief Engineer of GPO "Belenergo" Mikhail Shevaldin. Belta writes about it.

Nature presents new challenges every year. If in summer it is squally winds that can knock dozens of trees on one power line, then in winter the main risk factors are ice and snow loads. First Deputy Director General recalled the cyclone “Javier”, which became a household name: in that period, power engineers not only provided uninterrupted power supply, but also cleared the access roads to damaged facilities on their own.

“To counter the elements, both regime and technical solutions are used. In particular, we provide backup (double) power to key power facilities. However, the main emphasis is on large-scale modernization of networks, said Mikhail Shevaldin.

The main direction of work is the replacement of uninsulated wires with modern insulated wires. Today, more than 10 thousand kilometers of overhead power lines with a voltage of 6-10 kilovolts passing through forest areas have already been made in isolation. This is more than 87 percent of the total length of such lines in the country, the representative of Belenergo cited the figures.

In addition, active work is underway to transfer 6-10 kV lines to cable design (underground gasket). This ensures that no wire break or short circuit occurs when a tree falls, and consumers continue to receive electricity without interruption.