Who destroyed the power grids of Primorye: typhoons or the Far Eastern distribution grid network company?

Ivan Petrovsky

There have probably never been such consequences of a typhoon in Primorye. After sitting for a couple of days without electricity and not receiving any information about when the power supply would be restored, residents began to bombard not the dispatching power grids, where they could not be informed of anything, but the regional government. Governor Oleg Kozhemyako received thousands of messages in which people complained about the lack of electricity. The situation became intolerable and the governor, having personally visited a number of affected districts of the region and convinced of the enormous scale of the destruction of the power grid, held an emergency meeting with the heads of municipalities and the leadership of the power grids.

As a result of this meeting, the following message appeared on the governor's social media page:

“I received… numerous complaints from Primorye residents. The fact that people were left without electricity for five days, somewhere without water and help from the local authorities is unacceptable. I pointed this out to the heads of the territories at the headquarters meeting. Tomorrow I will go to the municipalities and talk to the locals. ⠀ In general, the typhoon showed that Primorye needs to comprehensively solve the problem of old networks, emergency poles and transformers. Therefore, I instructed the heads and power engineers to close all emergency areas and facilities, so we will get an accurate "picture" of all municipalities. Then we will solve these problems, go to the level of the Government of the Russian Federation for financial support"

As the participants of this meeting say, Kozhemyako from the heads of the regions demanded to organize the delivery of food and gas cartridges to the most affected remote villages, as well as to establish their supply of drinking water. Since water stations and pumps in wells do not work without electricity.

The conversation with the representatives of the power engineers turned out to be more difficult. They assured that everyone is accepted measures: more than twenty of its emergency teams work in the region and additional forces were sent from the Amur Region, the Jewish Autonomous Region and the Khabarovsk Territory ... And so this is already 40 emergency crews. But when one of the presenters optimistically reported that emergency recovery work are carried out at a high rate and are practically completed in all regions, and the power engineers of Primorye restore power supply to the 0.4 kV network at the request of consumers, then the governor exploded.

He sharply noted that if the DRSK carried out planned work on the replacement of networks and equipment on time, then the current a collapse of the electricity supply would not have happened. And at the time of the meeting there are still hundreds of people did not sit in houses without light and did not cook food on fires, despite the optimistic reports of power engineers.

As the participants in this planning meeting say, it was the first time they saw the Primorye governor in such anger. And these feelings of the head of the region can be understood. On the one hand, he promised the power engineers financial assistance for the prompt renewal of the networks, but on the other hand, he stated that he would not tolerate such indifference to the problems of the inhabitants of the region. DRSK could not establish even an operational informing people about the progress and timing of repair and restoration work.

As one of the engineers of the Primorsky branch of the Far Eastern Distribution grid network company (DRSK un Russian - noted by NI) noted on condition of anonymity:

"Any typhoon breaks trees that tearing wires. But by themselves, modern power lines must withstand hurricane gusts of wind. This is clearly visible on the high voltage lines. There are practically no cliffs on them if the trees are cut down on time. And on lines of lower power for the household consumer must be concrete poles on jibs and high-strength self-supporting wires in insulation. In Primorye, many accidents happened just on those lines that were held on to old, rotten wooden poles. The wind just broke them. And wires without insulation on numerous twists tore themselves. These lines have long demanded replacement according to all standards".

Indeed, from 60 to 80% of the capacities of JSC Far Eastern Distribution grid network company (DRSK), including in the Primorsky Territory, have exhausted the standard operating life. So the wear of power grids exceeds 60%, transformer substations - 70%. For more than 25 years, 80% of transmission networks have been in operation. This information is contained in a certificate prepared by the "Scientific and Technical Center of the Unified Energy System" for the Government of the Primorsky Territory.

At the same time, the Primorsky branch of the Far Eastern Distribution grid network company (DRSK) pledges almost a billion rubles for development almost every year. However, judging by the reports, these funds are not spent in full and somehow strange. A significant part of the funds is spent not on the construction of new infrastructure facilities or even on the reconstruction of old ones, but on secondary needs such as the purchase of furniture, office equipment and cars. At the same time, funds are not fully spent. For example, "in 2018, JSC" DRSK" PES carried out activities in the amount of 934 million rubles (66 million rubles were not spent), for 2019 - in the amount of 827 million rubles (114 million rubles were not spent)".

As it has been noted more than once, Far Eastern Distribution grid network company (DRSK) does not invest its own funds in investments, but prefers spend on them loans. Interest on loan agreements leads to an increase in the cost of work and a rise in the cost of the tariff. The enterprise's profit is not provided as a source of financing, although it would fully cover the investment program. So in 2017 "Primorsky electrical networks" made a profit of 1,066 million rubles, and in 2018 in 1,413 million rubles. In 2019, revenue from the provision of electricity transmission services increased by 142 million rubles in relation to 2018, and the cost price for the same period increased by 588 million rubles.

So even if Governor Oleg Kozhemyako will be able to attract additional funds, then within the framework of the current system of activities of the Far Eastern Distribution grid network company (DRSK), this money will simply increase the income of the company's shareholders. And while the regional government is looking for effective ways to solve this problem, the population I was convinced by my bitter experience that you need to prepare for each typhoon yourself: buy generators and stock up on fuel for them for at least a week.