Siemens supplies electrical equipment to Ukraine
MOSCOW. July 28 (Interfax) - JSC Mykolaivoblenergo, the Mykolaiv region's power distribution company, received advanced electrical equipment worth 7.3 million hryvni from the German company Siemens as humanitarian aid at the beginning of this week, the Ukrainian media quoted Mykolaivoblenergo as saying in a press release on Wednesday.
"This equipment will make it possible not only to more promptly rebuild damaged facilities but also upgrade the grids," the Ukrainian company said.
The humanitarian cargo includes modern 10kV vacuum circuit-breakers and vacuum reclosers, which will replace outdated equipment, such as oil circuit-breakers, which require constant monitoring of its oil levels, have a short operational life between their routine maintenance and high risks of explosion during switch-overs.
"Now they will be replaced by European-quality switching devices, which guarantee safe and reliable operations of power grids, have a lengthy service life and require very little maintenance," Mykolaivoblenergo said.
The reclosers and vacuum circuit-breakers provided by Siemens are gradually being installed at electrical substations, Mykolaivoblenergo deputy general director Vadym Danylkiv said.
"Switch-over operations, which usually require the arrival and immediate participation of staff, can now be carried out directly from the on-duty operator's switchboard almost instantaneously. Automatic control seriously improves the functioning of power grids as a whole and considerably simplifies and accelerates maintenance," Danylkiv said.
Furthermore, the Mykolaiv region's energy sector has been provided with relay terminals, which help protect and keep an eye on the condition of power grids, monitoring electricity transmission parameters and switching off the grids in the event of an emergency.
Though this equipment can be installed and fine-tuned only by highly skilled personnel, it is indispensable in managing and automatizing the operations of power grids and their subsequent monitoring, the company said.
Mykolaivoblenergo specialists have decided to distribute the relay terminals among facilities, with a focus on 150kV electrical substations, which are crucial to the distribution of electricity.