OREANDA-NEWS. November 8, 2010. RUSNANO and ONEXIM will invest in a project to produce fiber optic systems to measure electric current and voltage. The budget for the project is 1.1 billion rubles. During the initial stage, RUSNANO will invest 392 million rubles; it will reserve 212 million rubles for possible future investment. ONEXIM will be primary investor.

The project will establish commercial production in Russia of power consumption meters and protective systems for power grids. The fiber optic current and voltage sensor systems are based on nanofibers. They provide power, transport, metallurgy, mining, and other industrial sectors with innovative solutions and replace imports with domestic products that satisfy higher consumer requirements. Fiber optic sensors pave the way for intelligent power systems, like SmartGrid, ensuring the exactitude of measurement required in that type of line. The sensors also make it possible to control and manage electric power networks in real time.

Models of fiber optic sensors from project applicant VOT-Capital have already passed trials at the Leningrad nuclear energy station, RUSAL’s Krasnoyarsk aluminum plant, the Pavlodarsk electrolyte plant in Kazakhstan, and the All-Russian Research Institute for Metrology.

The systems will be manufactured in Moscow. Sales in 2015 are estimated at two billion rubles.

Optical nanofiber can achieve specific measurement sensitivities and resistance to external influences. Technical characteristics are obtained due to the presence of 50-nanometer to 80-nanometer elements (quartz ribs inside a bearing quartz sheath on which the fiber’s pith is hung) in the structure of the fiber.

When comparing the cost of purchasing new sensors versus traditional oil or electric-gas metering transformers, the former’s total cost of ownership is no more than 50 percent of the cost of ownership for traditional devices because these new units require virtually not servicing.

“Fiber optic sensors are more reliable and more precise than most of the current and voltage meters present in power grids today,” observed RUSNANO managing director Alexander Kondrashov. “It is important to note that the units now in place in the grids of 110 kilowatts to 750 kilowatts have been depreciated by more than 50 percent; 25 percent of the devices require immediate replacement.”

“High-tech is a priority in ONEXIM Group’s investment strategy. This project is just the first step in developing advanced Russian technology for monitoring energy efficiency in a host of domestic economic sectors—from electric energy and oil and gas production to construction and transportation. In our opinion, these systemic projects will not only earn considerable investment income but also help raise the competitive level of the Russian economy,” said ONEXIM Group general director Dmitry Rasumov.

According to VOT-Capital owner Sergey Dmitriev, “This is a new generation of metering systems that go further than replacing traditional measuring transformers. They make it possible to create intelligent, manageable power grids.”

ONEXIM Group is one of the largest private investment funds in Russia. Established in 2007, the group holds a diversified portfolio of ore mining and metallurgy, the financial sector, real estate, media, energy, and nanotechnology companies.

Fiber Optical Technica-Capital, VOT-Capital was formed in 2007 to consolidate promising fiber optic technology and to establish high-tech production. The group of companies includes businesses that specialize in developing and manufacturing fiber optic sensors, integrated systems for monitoring industrial infrastructure, communication systems design and building, and delivery and installation of telecommunications systems.