The first fully automated closed-type substation of 110/20 kV will be built in Odesa
“DTEK serves the interests of Ukraine and implements the world's best practices in the power facilities construction. Similar substations already exist in Germany, the Netherlands and other European countries. Traditionally, mainly 110/6 and 110/10 kV substations were built in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Construction of a closed-type substation of 110/20 kV is a new step in the development of the Ukraine’s energy market. Investments in construction amount to about UAH 290 million,” says Oleksandr Fomenko, DTEK Odesa Grids Director General.
The uniqueness of the Chubaivka substation lies in the voltage level of 20 kV, under which electricity is transmitted and distributed in the grids. The high voltage level directly affects the electricity transmission level to consumers, as well as increasing the reliability of power supply and the quality of electricity.
“The most economical way to transmit electricity is to 'send' it using higher voltage lines. To better understand why it is more profitable, imagine that you turn on a hose with water: the higher the pressure, the less water loss,” says Oleksandr Fomenko.
The Chubaivka substation will be small, 27x36m, but powerful. According to power engineers of DTEK Odesa Grids, it will provide an additional 52 MW of electricity for residents of Kyivsky District of Odesa. Residential areas are built at a rapid pace in this area, and such a substation will provide reliable electricity to 5,000 new apartments and the entire adjacent infrastructure.
By its design, the Chubaivka substation will be of a closed type. That is, all energy equipment will be installed in a special building that will reliably protect it against adverse weather.
The substation will be operated using the dispatching console, without involving duty personnel. This will allow quickly fixing emergency failures, and eliminating their consequences without disconnecting customers from the power supply.
One of the DTEK priority tasks is to preserve the environment. At the new facility, the company plans to install vacuum circuit breakers that do not harm the environment. Older substations often used oil circuit breakers containing petroleum products. When getting into water or soil, they could harm the environment. Vacuum circuit breakers are harmless to the environment and meet the highest fire safety requirements. The power engineers plan to use a cross-linked polyethylene cable at the substation. This will allow not only to minimize losses in the grids, but also to ensure green operation due to the absence of oil leakage and environmental pollution in.