OREANDA-NEWS. April 16, 2007. An All-Russia meeting of General Directors of RAO UES companies has started today to discuss the results of the autumn-winter period of 2006-2007. The Meeting is attended by top managers of about 200 RAO UES subsidiaries: electric power generation (WGCs and TGCs), distribution (FGC, interregional and regional distribution companies), sales, and other RAO UES companies.

During the autumn-winter period of 2006-2007, energy companies of RAO "UES of Russia" were able to ensure reliable and uninterrupted power supply.

The Holding's power plants generated 385 billion kWh of electricity in October 2006 through March 2007. This figure is comparable with that of the 2005-2006 winter (386 billion kWh), despite the fact that the winter just ended was extremely warm, and the 2005-2006 winter was abnormally cold. In winter 2006-2007, the average temperature was 5 degrees higher than the normal, and the temperatures were close to the seasonal norm only in February 2007. This could have led to a reduction in electricity and heat use, but did not happen due to a number of some other factors, primarily the increased electricity demand from industrial and household consumers.

Despite the warmer weather last winter, electricity consumption across Russia reached 534.5 billion kWh, up 1.3 percent compared to the winter of 2005-06.

The highest increase in electricity consumption was observed in the Chechen (7.9 percent on 2005-06 winter), Komi (5.5 percent), Chelyabinsk (5.3 percent), Karachay-Cherkessia (5 percent), Khakassia (4.1 percent), and Sverdlovsk (4 percent) energy systems. The electricity consumption in the Tyumen energy system did not only exceed the 2005-2006 level but beat the all-time high of 1990 by 18.7 percent.

During the autumn-winter period, the UES of Russia operated at the standard frequency of 50 Hz 100 percent of calendar time.

Stable operation of RAO UES energy companies last winter was made possible by their complete preparedness for the autumn-winter period in terms of fuel stockpiles and equipment preparation. In light of the experience gained during the 2005-06 winter period, the fuel stockpiles were increased to 17.2 million tonnes of coal and 3.3 million tonnes of fuel oil as of 1 January 2007, which is somewhat higher than the required levels set for those fuels. No limitations were imposed on gas supplies last winter.

In the course of winter preparations, inspections were conducted at 1019 energy entities, including OAO "UES SO-CDA", OAO "UES FGC", wholesale generation companies (WGCs) and territorial generation companies (TGCs), and the power plants comprising the WGCs and TGCs; regional energos and AO-power plants which are not part of the WGCs or TGCs, interregional distribution companies (IDCs) and the constituent DCs; transmission (trunk) grid companies and energy retail companies. All of these companies received their winter preparedness certificates.

The successful operation during the 2006-2007 winter was largely due to the activities of the Headquarters for Energy Supply Safety, primarily in the so-called "peak load areas". The Headquarters are chiefly responsible for coordinating activities and prompt and efficient decision-taking by the regional administrations and energy companies' officers so as to prevent power outages or eliminate their consequences. By now, agreements on the establishment of such HQs have been signed with the 18 regional administrations. In addition, RAO "UES of Russia" and 8 constituent entities of Russia have signed Agreements on the implementation of Reliability Assurance and Energy Industry Development Programmes.