Transcript of the meeting:
A. Novikov (Main Control Center duty operator): Mr Putin, please allow me to present my report.
Operational mode is normal; the frequency is maintained within 50, plus or minus 0.05, Hertz. Power flows in, the monitored transfer is within permitted values. Voltage on the test points does not exceed maximum operating values. Nuclear, thermal and hydro power station workloads are on schedule. No maintenance operations are planned at this time.
The expected peak load in the Unified Energy System of Russia is expected to be 135,000 MW without the Far Eastern System Operator, with an expected 500 MW reserve. The Siberian System Operator has already passed the peak load of 30,200 MW of consumption. There were reserves of one thousand MW at the Siberian SO.
Fuel reserves at SO power stations are generally within the prescribed values, but there is a hang-up at the Vladivostok Steam Power Plant. They have a six day fuel supply and had one power outage, but that transmission line is back in service. It's being used for re-routing.
Report complete.
Vladimir Putin: Okay.
You know that currently global warming is being discussed internationally. We have extremely low temperatures, especially in Siberia, 10 degrees lower than normal, with the average temperature at minus 29. And in December, as you reported (addressing S. Shmatko) electric power consumption in Russia was at its highest since 1990.
The first question is how are we doing with this winter peak load? Second, concerning the accident at the transmission line in the Maritime Territory: how are repairs proceeding? Third are the problems connected with the Sayano-Shushenskaya Power Plant's terminated capacity. We have agreed on power redistribution especially during the fall and winter period. How are things with that?
And the next question, also related to the Sayano-Shushenskaya Power Plant being out of service, is that of smoothing price hikes. We have agreed and the Government decreed that price changes would be leveled. How is this being handled? How is the government's decree being implemented?
Nikolay Shulginov (SO UES first deputy chairman): We experienced abnormally low temperatures in December, and the situation was satisfactory. The point is, the Energy Ministry, when preparing for the winter, was using a scenario with much lower temperatures than the climatic average, abnormal temperatures. That is why in all the territories, and in the UES in general, those temperatures were used for load calculations, and the same method was used to estimate fuel reserves.
Also, maintenance operations were scheduled using the same scenario, and during the peak load period there is an absolute minimum of such operations, only short repairs, mostly on weekends and holidays.
All that allowed us to get past the peak load period and the record high numbers you mentioned. And those record highs were also in the regions, not only in the UES. The Moscow Power System also showed a consumption maximum of 17,230 MW which is an absolute record and historical maximum.
Preparations for the winter emphasised maintenance. The Energy Ministry conducted special activities and set up a task force to monitor maintenance and repairs. So all repair work, in Siberia in particular, was under control. As for Siberia, the peak was between 1500 and 1600 hours, and now the peak stands at 29,632 MW. It is the current peak, and fairly substantial. The temperature there, as we know, stands at 30 degrees below, and in the Trans-Baikal area - down to minus 40 degrees.
What are our power flow reserves? 500 kV line power flow from Kaaklhstan to Siberia totaling 623 MW with a permitted value of 1,800 MW. That is, here we have a reserve of approximately one thousand MW.
Also, as the operator has reported, thermal stations have rotating and cold reserves. The equipment is currently standing in reserve because we have working days coming and peak consumption will go up. That equipment will be put into operation at the end of the holiday season.
What else is there concerning Siberia and the Sayano-Shushenskaya Power Plant being decommissioned? We have a plan, approved by the Energy Ministry. It involves the whole range of operations and it expedites the processes to eliminate accidents.
The plan also includes capacity increases at Siberian thermal power stations. Increased fuel reserves were specified here, and specific activities include 220kV transmission line construction. You can't see them on this chart as it only shows over-500 MW networks. Plans also include installing capacitor banks at the Oznachennoye and Aluminievoye substations to maintain the required voltage at continuous operating cycle enterprises. The Federal Network Company has more details on how some of those activities have been completed.
Additionally, a number of training exorcises have been conducted. Single line shutdown emergency scenarios have been devised. All this is aimed at coping with peak loads including December's and during this cold spell, plus the forecasted consumption of the upcoming working days. We can say that fall-winter peak loads in Siberia will be dealt with in an efficient manner.
Sergei Shmatko (Russian Energy Minister): I would like to note again, that December 16th was an all-time record peak in Khakassia. That is, Khakassia consumed a maximum amount of power on that day and even though the Sayano-Shushenskaya Power Station was inoperable, everything was okay.
Vladimir Putin: And how was power distribution organised after the Sayano-Shushenskaya Power Plant was shut down?
Sergei Shmatko: Power is supplied from the European regions via Kazakhstan, as Nikolai Shulginov showed, in the amount of about 600 MW. In December we had up to 1,700 MW transferred from the European regions to Western Siberia, and also about 230 MW from Tomsk Region. We also have reserves we haven't used - it is the power distribution from Irkutsk Region to Western Siberia.
Vladimir Putin: Are they considered a backup?
Sergei Shmatko: Yes, absolutely
Nikolay Shulginov: We have access to capacity which is being transmitted, depending on transmission line capacity, to the western part where we had the accident.
Sergei Shmatko: In other words, due to the unavailability of the Sayano-Shushenskaya Power Plant, we have a small shortage of power generating capacity with the Siberian SO, but because of the power redistribution we are confident that power supplies to the territories will be uninterrupted.
Vladimir Putin: Well, how about price hike smoothing?
Sergei Shmatko: Following your instructions to curb speculation due to a generating shortage, primarily due to the Sayano-Shushenskaya Power Plant problem, the government issued a decree and a corresponding price-leveling mechanism has been developed.
I would like to report that in late December due to low temperatures in the European areas of the country, the wholesale price rose from 600 to 1,000 rubles. In view of this, a price-leveling mechanism was designed and approved. As a consequence, the price dropped back down to 600 rubles.
This shows that we have tested the mechanism. There was a small increase on January 1, but for different reasons.
Vladimir Putin: I would like to know what is going on in the Far East because of the transmission line failure and in the North Caucasus because of the snowfall?
Sergei Shmatko: Oleg Budargin, Federal Network Company CEO, will report on the transmission line accident in Primorsk
Oleg Budargin (FNC UES CEO): At 14:37 hours Moscow time, high-voltage transmission line 500 of the Primorskaya Steam Power Plant, far eastern substation 500, failed.
Vladimir Putin: The substation failed?
Oleg Budargin: The power station mainline and the substation. The location of the problem has been identified 600 km from the power plant, and repair crews have been sent there. We hope to fix it within six to eight hours. No consumers have experienced a power failure. The effect was insignificant: when the power plant safety system snapped, two power generating units were stopped, units three and five. This cross-switch caused a short interruption. Within one hour power supplies were restored to all consumers.
Vladimir Putin: What about the North Caucasus?
Sergei Shmatko: Nikilai Shvets reports.
Nikolay Shvets (MRSK Holding CEO): Conditions in the North Caucasus are really tough. High winds, snow accumulation on power lines, icing, trees falling.
This morning 4000 consumers lost power in a Dagestan district. And the capacity is 1.5MW. Eighteen support towers have been downed, and new supports are now being erected.
Vladimir Putin: Eighteen supports?
Nikolay Shvets: Yes, 18 wooden supports. The situation is complicated by mountainous terrain, and the roads are blocked by snow. A helicopter is being used to solve the problem.
There was a threat to normal operations.
Vladimir Putin: One second, when are you going to fix that problem?
Nikolay Shvets: By noon tomorrow.
Vladimir Putin: By noon tomorrow?
Nikolay Shvets: Exactly.
Vladimir Putin: Okay.
Nikolay Shvets: Later today 50% of the population will be reconnected. About two thousand people will remain without power, basically villages high in the mountains. They have stove heating; socially significant facilities are absent.
Vladimir Putin: Everything is socially significant where people live. Okay. Did you mean to add something?
Nikolay Shvets: Regular power supplies to Cheget and Terskol mountain resorts were threatened.
Vladimir Putin: Near Elbrus?
Nikolay Shvets: Yes. Avalanches are a threat there, and one of the transmission lines was covered by an avalanche. The system short circuited through the snow to the ground. Power was cut every 10-15 minutes in the reconnection process. However, the line was fully operable about an hour ago, although the risk of failure remains. The situation is aggravated by the Civil Defence Ministry closing the area to our crews. When the ban is lifted, we will work overtime to ensure uninterrupted service to the Elbrus area.
Vladimir Putin: The crews are not allowed in due to avalanche danger?
Nikolay Shvets: Right. And there was a blackout in the Dombai mountain ski resort area. There was another transmission line disruption and power was cut off. The cause is now being investigated. I think the failure is to be fixed shortly.
Vladimir Putin: When exactly?
Nikolay Shvets: I believe within two hours.
Vladimir Putin: Within two hours?
(Addressing Shmatko) As to the scope of regions' and municipalities' responsibility, it is evident that you will not be able to see and direct everything from the ministry, from Moscow. Maintaining contact you're your colleagues is essential - both at the regional and municipal levels to prevent such glitches as the one in a Chita garrison.
Sergei Shmatko: Following your directive, a Federal Power Supplies Safety Task Force was organised. And regional safety task force heads are members.
I should say these task forces had been set up in all of Russia's regions by the fall-winter period. We constantly keep in contact. You are right; there is a gap where the "big authority" contacts the municipalities. The heads of the network units have been instructed to render the necessary assistance.
Vladimir Putin: The key issue is that the "big authority" should work faultlessly because we cannot allow unpredicted situations. The response should be prompt and effective.