According to the results of the companies’ checking, IDGC of the North-West will make a decision on giving out the passports of preparedness for the winter to the companies.

Representatives of IDGC of the North-West will obtain check of preparedness of distribution grid companies for the autumn-winter season of 2007-2008. Power companies will begin tests starting October. Passports of preparedness should be given out till November 15 of this year.

According to Oleg Anfimov, Chief of the Technical Inspection Department of IDGC of the North-West, power facilities shall meet requirements of the Regulations for electric and heat supplying companies’ preparedness for the autumn-winter season in full. Now distribution grid companies fix problems as requested by our remarks, and bring power facilities in conformity with the requirements. Distribution grid companies will hold their own checks in the branches at the first stage of the action, after which the company's preparedness for the winter will be estimated by experts of the managing company.

Control over observance of requirements of industrial and fire safety, professional level of the personnel, emergency response drills holding, availability of the personal protective equipment, overalls and tools are included in the basic requirements of preparedness of the power companies for the winter. The commissions will also assess readiness of the operative and dispatching personnel for the winter maximum loadings passing.

During preparation for the winter, the companies will hold large-scale intersystem emergency response drills, which will allow to train interaction between the companies, local authorities, and the Emergency Situations Ministry for elimination of possible off-nominal situations in winter conditions.

Oleg Anfimov said that network enterprises would pay special attention to working out of ice melting patterns on air transmission lines, readiness of operations brigades for departure, lines and substations equipment testing, and preparation of the relay equipment.

This year within the limits of preparation for winter, the companies of IDGC of the North-West for the first time hold trainings of the dispatching personnel for introduction of electric power supply restriction schedules and prevention of large-scale switching-off in conditions of maximum loadings. Loading on the network complex of the North-West has repeatedly exceeded the historical maximum in recent years.