Power pool system of Russia

GOST 21027-75 gives the following definition Uniform ^[1]:

Integrated power grid — the set of the integrated power systems (IPS) connected by intersystem communications, which is covering a considerable part of the territory of the country at a general regime of work and having supervisory control

The place among power supply systems of Europe

Select three large independent power pools in Europe — NORDEL, Western (UCTE) and East (EEC/CUC) synchronous zones (NORDEL and UCTE in July, 2009 were a part of new European consolidation — ENTSO-E). The EEC/CUC is understood as UES of Russia in total with power supply systems of the CIS countries, the Baltic and Mongolia.

Structure

UES of Russia covers practically all made habitable territory of the country and is the world's largest on a centralized basis the managed power pool.

UES of Russia includes 69 power supply systems in the territory of 79 territorial subjects of the Russian Federation^[2]working as a part of six working parallel to CUC:

• CUC of the Center,
• CUC of the South,
• CUC of the Northwest,
• CUC of Middle Volga,
• CUC of the Urals
• Siberia

and CUC of the East, working separately from UES of Russia.

Besides, UES of Russia carries out parallel operation with CUC of Ukraine, CUC of Kazakhstan, CUC of Belarus, power supply systems of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia and Azerbaijan and also with NORDEL (communication with Finland through an insert of a direct current in Vyborg).

Power supply systems of Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania form a so-called "Electric ring of BRELL" which work is coordinated within the Agreement on parallel operation of power supply systems of BRELL signed in 2001.

Price zones

As of July, 2012 the Russian power supply system is separated into two price zones: the first includes European, Ural, southern and the North-West Territories of Russia, the second — Siberia. In these zones, in fact, two separate power markets. Separation historical — they are not connected by high-voltage networks. For the same reason price zones, in turn, are separated into 27 zones of a free overflow. In them there are no restrictions on transmission of energy.

Advantages of consolidation of power plants and networks in UES of Russia

Parallel operation of power plants on the scale of the Integrated power grid allows to implement the following ^[3]:

• decrease in a total maximum of loading of UES of Russia by 5 GW;
• reduction of need for the installed capacity of power plants on 10-12 GW;
• optimization of load distribution between power plants for the purpose of reduction of fuel consumption;
• use of the highly effective large-block generating equipment;
• maintenance of the high level of reliability and survivability of power associations.

Joint work of power plants in the Integrated power grid provides a possibility of installation at power plants of units of the largest single power which can be made by the industry, and integrations of power plants. Increase in single power of units and the installed capacity of power plants has considerable economic effect.

History of creation

The principles of centralization of electricity production and concentration of the generating capacities at large district power plants were put when implementing the plan of GOELRO. Development of power industry of the USSR in the 1930th years was characterized by the beginning of formation of power supply systems.

In 1926 in the Moscow power supply system the country's first central dispatching service was created (TsDS, now TsDS carry names of Regional dispatching offices and have the status of branches of JSC "SO UES").

By 1935 in the country six power supply systems, including Moscow, Leningrad, Donetsk and Dnieper worked. The first power supply systems were created on the basis of the power transmission line of voltage of 110 kV, except for Dnieper in which lines of voltage of 154 kV accepted for issue of power of the Dnieper hydroelectric power station were used.

In 1942 for coordination of work of three district power generating systems: Sverdlovsk, Perm and Chelyabinsk the first Interconnected dispatching office — ODU of the Urals was created. In 1945 ODU of the Center was created.

Construction of a cascade of hydroelectric power stations on Volga was in the early fifties begun. In 1956 consolidation of power supply systems of the Center and Middle Volga the transmission line of 400 kV Kuibyshev — Moscow providing issue of power of Kuybyshesky hydroelectric power station designated the beginning of formation of the Integrated power grid of the USSR. The followed construction of the power transmission line of 500 kV from a cascade of the Volga HEPS provided a possibility of parallel operation of power supply systems of the Center, Middle and Lower Volga and the Urals and completed the first stage of creation of the Power pool system.

In July, 1962 the agreement on creation in Prague of the Central Supervisory Control (CSC) of power supply systems of Bulgaria, Hungary, the GDR, Poland, the USSR, Romania and Czechoslovakia was signed. This agreement led to creation of the largest power supply system on the planet World (installed capacity of power plants more than 400 GW).

In 1967 based on ODU of the Center the Central Supervisory Control (CSC) of EEC of the USSR which assumed also functions of supervisory control by parallel operation of power supply systems of CUC of the Center was created.

In 1970 to EEC it was attached by CUC of Transcaucasia, and in 1972 — CUC of Kazakhstan and certain areas of Western Siberia.

In 1978 by CUC of Siberia it was attached to EEC of the USSR.

By 1990 9 of 11 power pools of the country were a part of EEC of the USSR, covering 2/3 territories of the USSR in which more than 90% of the population lived.

In November, 1993 because of a big capacity shortage in Ukraine forced transition to separate work of UES of Russia and CUC of Ukraine was performed that led to separate work of UES of Russia with other power supply systems which are a part of power supply system World. Further parallel operation of the power supply systems which are a part of World with the central supervisory control in Prague was not resumed.

After the collapse of the USSR electric communications between some power pools as a part of UES of Russia began to pass across the territory of the independent states and power supply of a part of regions was dependent on these states (the communications of 500 — 1150 kV between CUC of the Urals and Siberia which are taking place on the territories of Kazakhstan, communication of CUC of the South and the Center which are partially passing on territories of Ukraine, the communications of CUC of the Northwest with the Kaliningrad power supply system passing across the territory of the Baltic States).

In 1995 ODU of the Center is brought out of the structure of TsDU UES of Russia as Directorate of supervisory control of the integrated power generating system of the Centrenergo Center (RAO UES of Russia branch).

2012: Plans of consolidation of 2 power supply systems of Russia

In July, 2012 the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation Arkady Dvorkovich charged to the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Economic Development, Market Council, System operator and FGC to work expediency of construction of networks for consolidation of the first and second price zones of wholesale power market. It is said in the protocol of Government Commission on Electricity Generation which is headed by Dvorkovich. Completion date of order in the document is not specified^[4].

The most discussed option — the transmission lines and substations transmitting energy from Siberia through Kazakhstan to the Urals and in the center told two sources close to the commission. The FGC should be engaged in construction.

It is necessary to construct about 2500 km of network infrastructure, the director Fonda of power development Sergey Pikin counted. According to him, the cost of construction will exceed $4 billion. Plus in case of consolidation of zones new power plants with a cumulative power of 6 GW will be necessary. It will cost still approximately $15 billion, Pikin says. By data from the previous general scheme of development of power industry (the project as a result was excluded from there), construction only 1500 km of networks would cost 300-350 billion rubles.

Consolidation of two zones would be profitable to consumers of the European part of Russia. In Siberia it is a lot of electric power and it costs less. This energy can be delivered in the European part of Russia, reducing the total price, Pikin considers. The power supply system will become steadier: fluctuations of power and losses in networks will be less — it is more reserves, the representative of System operator added.

Consolidation of price zones will increase the competition between the generation companies, the chief of profile Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service Vitaly Korolev notes. Afterwards it has to fall and the price of electricity, he explained. Korolev considers that in case of such consolidation afterwards it will be possible to cancel "prayskepa" — limits of the prices of power which are on the most part of the territory of Russia now.

The idea is correct, the head of Market Council Vyacheslav Kravchenko notes. But because of high costs for the project it is possible not to achieve a main goal — reduction in cost of the electric power in the European part of Russia and at the same time to receive increase in prices in Siberia. Rates of FGC will inevitably grow, specifies Kravchenko. The chairman of the supervisory board of NP Community of Buyers of the Electricity Markets Alexander Starchenko advises in that case to correct the investment program of FGC, having removed from it less important projects. The analyst of VTB Capital Mikhail Rasstrigin offers other option. According to him, on construction of new networks the state should undertake the main financial loading not to shake activity to these FGC "the project of a century". The representative of FGC told that for a start it is necessary to execute the feasibility statement on the project with assessment of its cost efficiency.

Officials are not going to hurry with project implementation. The employee of the Ministry of Economic Development notes that the question of consolidation of zones is directly coordinated to the investment program of FGC. Therefore before making the final decision, it is necessary to count project cost. The official considers that consolidation of zones — "question not of today", "is obvious that the project expensive, and the FGC have restrictions on rates".

Administrative management of EEC

Till July 1, 2008 the highest level in an administrative management structure the electrical power industry was JSC RAO UES of Russia.

Dispatching and technology control of work of UES of Russia is exercised by JSC SO UES.

The order of the Government of the Russian Federation of 7/11/2001 No. 526 "About reforming of power industry of the Russian Federation" the Power pool system of Russia is recognized "national property and a guarantee of energy security" of the state. Its main part "is the single national power network including the system of the backbone power transmission lines integrating the majority of regions of the country and representing one of elements of a guarantee of integrity of the state". For it "preserving and strengthenings, ensuring unity of technology management and implementation of state policy in power industry" creation of JSC FGC UES was provided.

In the order of the Government of the Russian Federation of 1/26/2006 No. 41 criteria of reference to the Single national (all-Russian) electric network (ENES) of backbone power transmission lines and objects of power grid economy were approved. It should be noted that in other regulating documents the abbreviation of ENES is decrypted as "A uniform national power grid" that is more correct from the technical point of view.

Most thermal power stations of Russia are owned by seven OGK (wholesale generating companies) and fourteen TGC (territorial generating companies). The most part of production capacities of hydropower is concentrated in hands of RusHydro company.

Operating organization of the NPP of Russia is JSC Rosenergoatom Concern.

Reforming of power industry meant creation in Russia wholesale and retail markets of electrical energy. Activities for ensuring functioning of commercial infrastructure of wholesale market, effective interrelation wholesale and retail markets, to formation of favorable conditions for the investment attraction in power industry, the organizations on the basis of self-regulation of an effective system wholesale and retail by electrical energy and power perform Market Council non-profit partnership. The activities for the organization of trade in wholesale market connected with the conclusion and the organization of execution of transactions on the address of electrical energy, power and other objects of trade which circulation is allowed in wholesale market perform the commercial operator of wholesale market — JSC Trading System Administrator of Wholesale Market of the Electric Power (JSC ATS).

Features of EEC

UES of Russia is located in the territory covering 8 time zones. Need of power supply of so extended territory causes broad application of distant electricity transmissions of high and extra-high voltage. The backbone electric network of EEC (ENES) consists of transmission lines of tension of 220, 330, 500 and 750 kV. In the electric networks of most power supply systems of Russia the scale of tension 110 — 220 — 500 — 1150 kV is used. In CUC of the Northwest and partially in CUC of the Center the scale of tension 110 — 330 — 750 kV is used. Existence of networks of tension of 330 and 750 kV in CUC of the Center is connected with the fact that networks of the specified classes of tension are used for issue of power of the Kalinin, Smolensk and Kursk NPP, two scales of tension located on border of use. In CUC of the North Caucasus networks of voltage of 330 kV have a certain distribution.

Structure of the generating capacities

CUC, being a part of UES of Russia, have different structure of the generating capacities, a considerable part of power supply systems is not balanced on the power and the electric power. The basis of the Russian power industry is formed by about 600 power plants with a total power of 210 GW working as a part of UES of Russia.

Two thirds of the generating capacities are the share of thermal power stations. About 55% of capacities of TPP are combined heat and power plants (combined heat and power plant), and 45% are the condensing power stations (CPS). Power of hydraulic (hydroelectric power stations), including hydroheat-sink (pumped storage power plant) power plants is 21% of installed capacity of power plants of Russia. Power of nuclear power stations is 11% of installed capacity of power plants of the country.

High degree of concentration of capacities at power plants is characteristic of UES of Russia. On thermal power stations the 1200 MW serial power units with a single power of 500 and 800 MW and one block on Kostroma GRES are operated. Single power of power units of the operating NPPs reaches 1000 MW.

Technical issues of functioning of EEC

One of serious problems of functioning of EEC is the weakness intersystem, and sometimes and backbone communications in power supply system that ^[5] leads to "locking" of electric powers^[5]. The weakness of intersystem communications in EEC is caused by its geographically-distributed structure. Restrictions in use of communications between different CUC and the majority of the most important communications in CUC are defined generally by conditions of static stability; for the power transmission lines providing issue of power of large scale power stations, and a number of transit communications with defining there can be conditions of dynamic stability.

The conducted researches revealed that frequency stability in UES of Russia is lower, than in UCTE. Especially big frequency deviations occur in the spring and in the second half of night that demonstrates lack of flexible means of regulation ^[6]

Perspectives of development of EEC

Development of EEC in the foreseeable future is described in the General scheme of placement of power generation facilities till 2020.

The system operator completed the work on the feasibility statement (FS) on consolidation of EEC/CUC with UCTE. Such consolidation would mean creation of the biggest in the world of the power consolidation located in 12 time zones with a total installed capacity more than 860 GW^[7]. On April 2, 2009 in Moscow the International reporting conference "Perspectives of Consolidation of Power Supply Systems the East-West (Results of the Feasibility Study for Synchronous Consolidation of EEC/CUC with UCTE)"^[8] took place].

The feasibility study showed that "synchronous consolidation of power supply systems of UCTE and EEC/CUC is possible on condition of carrying out a number of technical, operational and organizational actions and creation of the necessary legal framework determined by a research. As accomplishment of these conditions will probably demand a progressive tense, synchronous consolidation should be considered as a long-term outlook. For creation of the joint, world's largest market platform for trade in the electric power between the synchronous zones UCTE and EEC/CUC creation of nonsynchronous communications can be also considered what, however, requires carrying out separate researches by concerned parties" ^[9].

Notes