OREANDA-NEWS. DTEK's engineering arm, Elektronaladka, will conduct technical re-equipment of outdoor switchgears at DTEK's Kurakhovska, Dobrotvirska, and Burshtynska thermal power plants. The retrofit will add another 25 years to the service life of the switchgear electrical equipment and improve the reliability and cost effectiveness of the plants' operation as a whole. The aggregate budget of the three projects is about UAH 860 million.

During the retrofit of the 330/110 kV outdoor switchgear at DTEK Kurakhovska TPP, the 220/330/400 kV outdoor switchgear at DTEK Burshtynska TPP, and the 35/110/220 kV outdoor switchgear at DTEK Dobrotvirska TPP, Elektronaladka will act as a general contractor and designer. Switchgear modernisation is intended to improve their reliability and operability as the facilities have been in service since the 50s and 70s of the last century and are obsolete and deteriorated.

“Retrofits of TPPs' main equipment increase the total transmission capacity for electricity output and the load on switchyard,” says Elektronaladka's Director Yevgeniy Bogomolskiy. “For instance, after the retrofit of units 5, 6, 7, and 8 at Kurakhovska TPP in 2008-13, the plant's generating capacity increased by 50 MW and, thus, requires a higher transmission capacity of the switchyard. That is why modernisation of switchgears is an important part for the renewal of a TPP at large. “

In 2014, the engineering company will prepare project design documentation for outdoor switchgear retrofits to determine the right technical, process, environmental, and engineering solutions. Purchase of equipment, dismantling, installation, set-up and start-up works are planned to be conducted in 2014-18. The aggregate budget of three projects will amount to about UAH 860 million.

Apart from restoration of the plant's production potential, the retrofit of the outdoor switchgears will be one more step towards the integration of the Ukrainian grid in the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity. ENTSO-E membership requires the company to upgrade its infrastructure facilities and improve the efficiency factor and flexibility of its generating capacities.

For over 12 years, Elektronaladka has been operating in the Ukrainian market of automated control systems and electrical equipment. Our personnel have expertise in different aspects of power engineering and vast experience in retrofit projects of different complexity and scale.