OREANDA-NEWS. In the run-up to the operation through winter peak 2013/2014 loads clearing and expansion of ROWs along power lines are a priority activity area of IDGC of Centre. In the current year in accordance with the plan more than 15,000 hectares will be cleared and about 5,000 hectares of ROWs along overhead will be extended. (This is the largest planned volume among other IDGCs). For six months in 2013 45% of the total amount of work has already been completed.

To ensure quality and timely implementation of clearing measures IDGC of Centre uses the latest high quality equipment and modern technologies. Currently, the fleet of specialized vehicles that can be used for clearing is over 700 pieces.

The branches use tractors Valtra, Treemme and MERLO, chippers MORBARK, and mulchers.

In June of this year for the first time in the company the first in Russia professional forestry tractor MERLO MM350B with a mulcher SEPPIM SUPERFORST went to clear ROWs along overhead lines. It was delivered to the overhead line 110 kV "Neya-Antropovo - 1.2" of IDGC of Centre - Kostromaenergo division. The new tractor is able to work on particularly heavy ROWs with various geographical landscape, to shred trees up to 40-50 cm in diameter, while leaving no logging slash.

In some branches a super technological harvester "John Deere" went to the road, technical capabilities of which allow to replace the simultaneous operation of 10 crews. Using the vehicle "John Deere" avoids having to disconnect customers when performing work. Power of the used vehicle makes it possible to operate at clearing the biggest trees (50-60 cm) on roads with any terrain.

At the moment, the branches of IDGC of Centre have involved the entire fleet of specialized vehicles to clear ROWs that allows to work around the clock in any weather. The use of high-performance equipment will enable by the end of the first half of the year to exceed the plan and to clear more than 150 additional hectares.

"Analysis of technological failures for the past autumn and winter operation period shows that the main cause of power outages in the regions is still falling trees on power lines," underlines Deputy General Director for Technical Issues, Chief Engineer of IDGC of Centre Sergey Shumakher. "For several years the company has been implementing the program of clearing and expansion of ROWs along power lines within which a clear schedule up to 2014 has been confirmed. This year we have to perform some significant amount of work and increase the reliability of all backbone transmission lines of critical infrastructure, oil and gas processing complex, Russian Railways, traction transits, etc."