OREANDA-NEWS  On 28 October was announced, that measures taken to prepare IES-Holding's power facilities for operation during the 2008-2009 autumn and winter period will ensure maximum reliability and efficiency of power supplies in 16 regions serviced by the holding company, Andrey Shishkin, IES-Holding First Vice-President, Director for Operations, told journalists at an interregional telephone press conference held on 22 October. The press conference was attended by over 200 journalists from Moscow and 16 constituents of the Russian Federation serviced by IES-Holding's companies. 

As reported by IES-Holding's Director for Operations, all main generating equipment, namely: 350 generating units and 714 boilers (including 84 hot-water boilers) had been repaired as scheduled by the 2008 annual maintenance program. Investment in major and medium overhauls of IES's generating companies (TGK-5, TGK-6, TGK-7 and TGK-9) alone amounted to RUR 8,587.4 million. Repairs in preparation for the autumn and winter period covered generating units with a total capacity of 3,114 MW, boilers with a total output of 29,000 ton/hour, and hot-water boilers with a total capacity of 1,345 Gcal/hour, as well as re-laying of 206.2 kilometers of heat networks. The program was focused on increasing equipment reliability and energy efficiency with a number of new technologies tested and advanced materials used for the heat network repairs.

According to Andrey Shishkin, fault-free operations during autumn and winter are "number one priority" for the company. "We aim at the full preparedness of IES's facilities for the winter maximum load period, longer operational life, better engineering, economic and environmental performance, as well as higher reliability of power and heat production", he said. This is why IES-Holding's businesses started preparing for the 2008-2009 autumn and winter period as early as April, even before the previous heating season finished. The preparation works have been continuously monitored by the operational departments.

In fact, all plants of the company have received IES-Holding's certificates of readiness by now; the TGKs are waiting for certificates of readiness to be issued by the Ministry of Energy before 15 November, 2008.

 "Our four TGKs supply heat to a total of 10 million people in 16 regions. We bear heavy responsibility for winter operations, for heat and hot water supplies for those people. This is not just an engineering responsibility, but primarily a social one", stressed Andrey Shishkin.