RAO "UES of Russia" has released a progress report on the implementation of the Investment Program by the RAO UES energy companies in April 2007 that includes 500-kV switchgear and transformer installations.

In April, OAO "FGC UES" Center Transmission Grids Branch started the installation of 500 kV gas-insulated switchgear and a 500/200 kV coupling autotransformer at the Kashirskaya TPP. The project is designed to deliver electricity from the 500 kV grid to the 220 kV grid. As a result, the Moscow Energy System will have an additional capacity of 500 MVA, which will make it technically possible to connect new users and significantly improve the reliability of energy supply in the Moscow Region as a whole.

Also, Center Transmission Grids teams completed the installation of a 125 MVA, 220/110 kV transformer at the Orlovskaya 220 kV substation to increase the reliability of power supply to consumers. The cost of the project to replace the equipment was RUB60.4 million. By end-2007, the Center Transmission Grids will spend RUB22 billion in funds on the modernization and technical upgrade of the 220 kV infrastructure facilities.

On 24 April, the Urals Transmission Grids branch of FGC put on line a 500/110 kV transformer of 250 MVA at the Zlatoust 500 kV substation in the Chelyabinsk Region. The replacement of old equipment helped raise the reliability of power supply to consumers in the Southern Urals area. Now that the transformer is operational, the branch will be able to commence the final phase of substation modernization involving the upgrade of the other two autotransformers and complete the project and commission the facility by year-end 2007.

Also in April, the East Transmission Grids branch of FGC put into operation the 220 kV switching point at the Partizansk substation, which made it possible to optimize the power supply scheme of the Partizanskaya TPP and Primorskaya TPP. This brought an additional 50 MW of capacity to the energy systems in the south of the Primorsky Kray and significantly improved the reliability of power supply to customers, including in the cities of Nakhodka and Partizansk, the Vostochny port (the largest one in the Russian Far East), agricultural enterprises in the Golden Valley, and tourist facilities. The project cost RUB240 million.

The distribution grid companies also completed the modernization of two 110 kV substations and started modernization of over 10 substations of up to 110 kV, and about 100 km of 110 kV overhead and cable lines.