70 years of stable operation: DTEK Odesa Grids celebrated its anniversary

Thermal power generation25 March 2021

In March 2021, DTEK Odesa Grids celebrates the 70th anniversary since its foundation. Among the main takeaways of the seventh decade of work are 40,000 kilometers of power lines and 4,800 employees, who daily ensure that more than a million residents across Odesa Region have a reliable power supply and modern services, taking care of the safety and comfort of each customer.

70 years of stable operation: DTEK Odesa Grids celebrated its anniversary

The company celebrated its 70th anniversary as an electricity distribution operator. In 2019, Odessaoblenergo became a part of the DTEK Grids Operating Holding, and since then the process of transforming the former “oblenergo” into DTEK Odesa Grids, a modern electricity distribution company, has begun.

“Over the 70 years of its existence, the company has something to be proud of. We worked our way up from founding the regional energy administration, named “Odessaenergo”, to one of the efficient distribution system operators in Ukraine. DTEK Odesa Grids is a reliable and conscious company that builds modern customer service in Odesa and the region, modernizes electrical networks and cares about protecting the environment. Our main value is our employees. Professionalism, responsibility, and experience ensure that more than a million customers have a stable, reliable, and safe energy supply. Over the past two years, we have invested UAH 822.5 million in the development of the regional energy system. In 2021, more than UAH 821 million was earmarked. We do everything needed to ensure that our customers always have electricity and comfort,” says Oleksandr Fomenko, CEO of DTEK Odesa Grids.

The head of the company said that over the past two years, DTEK Odesa Grids has made a significant contribution to the development of the enterprise, the energy infrastructure and the preservation of the environment across the region:

More than 125 km of 10kV and 0.4kV electrical networks were reconstructed, 23 unloading transformer substations of 0.4-10 kV were installed, reconstruction of the Krymskaya substation began, the construction of a new 110/20kV Chubaevka substation, work is ongoing at the Chumka substation;
To ensure the comfort and safety of customers, the company introduced remote services, including online services, including: an online account on the DTEK Odesa Grids website, the Line of Light mobile application, a call center (048) 705 90 90, (068) 750 90 90, ( 095) 750 90 90, email call-center@oblenergo.odessa.ua, official Facebook and Instagram, Viber and Telegram chatbots;
To protect biodiversity, 26 nesting platforms for storks across Odesa Region and 1,340 reflective diverters were installed on the 110 kV high-voltage power line. An additional 60 platforms will be installed in 2021. These measures save birds from death, protect them from collisions with high-voltage lines during migration, avoid accidents in networks and short-circuiting of power lines;
In 2020, DTEK Odesa Grids successfully passed an audit and received certificates of compliance with ISO 45001:2018 and ISO 14001:2015 international standards - high-quality labor protection and environmental management systems;

The first electric lighting appeared in Odesa 141 years ago. In 1880, the first ten lanterns were installed on Nikolayevsky Boulevard (known today as Primorsky). In 1887, the city built the first AC power plant and high voltage power line. This is how light came to the City Theater and the first 600 household customers. The systemic history of the energy sector development in the region dates to 1951, when the regional energy administration named "Odessaenergo" was created. In the 80s, Odessaenergo annually built up to 1000 km of power transmission lines of various voltages and 330 kW support substations, named Novo-Odesskaya, Kotovskaya, Adzhalyk, Artsyz. Being privatized in 1998, the enterprise was named OJSC “Power Supply Company “Odessaoblenergo”. In April 2019, Odessaoblenergo became a part of DTEK. Within the framework of the energy reform, the company became the distribution system operator. It was renamed DTEK Odesa Grids in October 2020.