OREANDA-NEWS. IDGC of Centre is taking part in the opened on October 20 in Moscow International Electric Power Forum "RUGRIDS-ELECTRO. Russian Grids. New Opportunities". The Forum is organized by PJSC "Rosseti" and IEC "Expocentre", with the support of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation. It is attended by more than five thousand representatives of domestic and foreign companies of the electric grid complex and leading manufacturers of equipment for the industry, federal and regional authorities, scientific and expert community, trade unions and associations. The Forum's mission is to evaluate the internal and external challenges in the Russian electric power industry, the adoption of system solutions for the most important aspects of the functioning of the power grid complex, as well as forecasting the prospects and conditions of development of the industry in the future.

An integral part of the forum is the largest industry event "Rugrids-Electro". IDGC of Centre presents its own innovations at it: a simulator of routine switching with 3D-visualization (under development), steel multifaceted poles and pole mounted transformers of 6-10/0.4 kV (PMT).

The simulator of routine switching, designed for training of operating personnel, is being developed by IDGC of Centre in conjunction with the NRU MPEI and is unparalleled in the industry. 3D-visualization allows to simulate planned and emergency routine switching, creating a sense of presence on the site. For full "immersion" in a virtual environment the substation uses 3D-helmet technology and an omni-directional treadmill. An electrician using this equipment can move within the virtual substation, follow indications of devices and indicators, work out a sequence of operations for complex switching. All activities are complemented with realistic surround sound. Training can take place in a group format, where actors will be able to see actions of their teammates, talk and discuss solutions.

Steel multi-faceted poles are one of the recent developments of IDGC of Centre, the company received the relevant patent in February 2014. Compared with conventional concrete and wooden poles, they are far more reliable and durable (lifetime of steel poles is about 50 years, concrete - 36, wood - 25), they are resistant to icing and wind loads, fire-safe, light, compact, and, as a consequence - more economical. This makes them popular among companies of the electric grid complex.

Pole mounted transformers of 6-10/0.4 kV, compared to existing at the market pole-mounted transformer substations, have a simple and reliable design that allows for their installation on the pole without specialized lifting equipment. Application of PMT reduces the length of low-voltage lines and thereby decreases transmission losses, improves the reliability and quality of electricity supply to consumers. Moreover, experience shows that the construction of overhead lines with pole-mounted transformer substations significantly increases the grid capacity and the possibility of connection of new consumers in expanding settlements.

IDGC of Centre plans to buy steel multi-faceted poles and pole mounted transformers of 6-10/0.4 kV for mass use in its service area, as well as to market for sale in subsidiaries of PJSC "Rosseti" and to other interested consumers, thus forming a new non-tariff source of funding for its activities. This is especially true given the current macroeconomic situation and acting tariff restrictions of sources of funding in the Russian fuel and energy sector since last year.