OREANDA-NEWS. July 09, 2009. Today, the Arkhangelsk region has as many as 52 grid companies. This information was voiced today during meeting of IDGC of North-West and its branch “Arkhenergo” top-managers which was headed by Deputy General Director for Economy and Finance of “IDGC Holding” JSC Alexey Demidov

The task of “IDGC Holding” JSC is to consolidate grids. To provide safe electric power supply of the whole grid complex, grids should be under control. Today this task is set for the biggest grid company of the country uniting more than 2 million km of electric power transmission lines; its major shareholder which is the state.

This was said today by Nikolay Shvets, General Director of IDGC Holding during his working visit to Arkhangelsk. N.Shevts commented on results of the meeting of the Holding’s management with Deputy Prime Minister of the RF Igor Sechin and Minister of Energy Sergey Shmatko which took place the day before 1 July and was confined to the Company’s first year of establishment celebration. Today, “IDGC Holding” JSC is one of those huge employers which have a personnel of more than 163 thousand specialists.

The topic of electric grid assets consolidation was actively worked over also during a joint meeting with participation of IDGC of North-West an ”Arkhenergo” top-managers which was headed by Deputy General Director for Economy and Finance of “IDGC Holding” JSC Alexey Demidov (at the picture).
According to Alexander Kukhmay, General Director of IDGC of North-West, the Arkhangelsk region has as many as 52 grid companies today, which doesn’t make for provision of reliable electric power supply of consumers at whole territory of the Russian Federation.

Moreover, the financial constituency of the problem is obvious. It means unpractical and ineffective spending for maintenance of separate grids which is an “Impossible profusion” under the conditions of economic crisis and absence of payments. Management of IDGC of North-West has no doubt about that.

The analysis carried out by the Company’s specialists shows that today IDGC of North-West provides 82% of the total amount of electric power transmission and spends more than RUR 2 billion annually on grids maintenance. Reliability for consumers is guaranteed owing to serious financial investments.

At the same time, grid companies of municipal property (there are 11 of them) providing only 6% from electric power transmission amount, invest almost 10 times less in grid objects. They invest RUR 260 million. Far less – RUR 140 million falls on necessary gross revenues of private grids owners which consist of 33 organizations.

 “We think that consolidation of inter-grid assets will simplify forming of tariffs for transmission, predetermine conclusion of straight agreements on transmission with all consumers, as well as exclude “cutting” of distribution companies of huge consumers by small grid companies,” emphasized Alexander Kukhmay, General Director of IDGC of North-West during the discussion.

“At the same time, currently acting legislation is not aimed at consolidation of grid assets, but rather the vice versa,” said all participants of the meeting almost unanimously.

“To solve the problem of electric grid assets consolidation constructively, it is necessary to initiate bills in the State Duma and make amendments similar to set ones for grids of UNPG (United National Power Grid). A strong support from Holding is necessary for grid companies in this field,” said managers of IDGC of North-West and “Arkhenergo” in their offer to the IDGC Holding top manager.
According to Alexey Demidov, Holding also has a positive attitude towards solving of this problem and actively works with all interested parties.

Director of “Arkhenergo” Yuriy Yampolsky informed on certain steps in decision of the problem in the branch at the meeting. He said that the Company plans to take part in auction for the right of Severodvinsk city municipal grids leasing with annual transmission in amount of 48 million kWh. The application has already been formed.