Power grid corridor safety: Time to worry again!

(Baonghean) - Violations of power grid corridor safety are common in most localities. Every year, when the rainy and stormy season comes, the electricity industry and local authorities are worried...

Widespread violations

Tan Ky is a mountainous district with a large forest area, and the situation of low-voltage power lines lying under tree canopies is very common. Currently, in Tan Ky district, there are 4 points violating the high-voltage power grid safety corridor, 22 points violating the phase-to-ground distance, and over 96 km of low-voltage lines with trees outside the corridor, which can cause safety risks during the rainy and stormy season. Therefore, before the rainy and stormy season, the electricity industry is worried about safety risks.

Tan Ky district electricity branch upgrades the power transformer station. Photo: Xuan Hoang

In Yen Thanh district, almost the entire low-voltage grid is in an unsafe state during the rainy and stormy season, while 1/3 of the low-voltage grid is intact after localities handed over the grid to the electricity sector for management. In mountainous districts, the situation of power grid safety corridors is very common. Although the electricity sector of mountainous districts has issued notices and reminders not to plant trees within the power grid safety corridor, in many places people still deliberately plant tall trees such as eucalyptus, acacia, cajuput... right under the power lines.

Statistics show that the whole province still has over 660 km of unsafe power lines due to trees planted by people close to the power corridor; 250 cases of houses and architectural works violating the high voltage power grid corridor. Of which, the most are Nghia Dan with 25 cases, Vinh city with 41 cases, Yen Thanh district with 39 cases, Dien Chau district with 31 cases...

Need the participation of people and government

Faced with the above situation, the electricity industry has made many efforts to ensure the safety of the power grid and the safety of people's lives and property, especially during the rainy and stormy season.

Mr. Tran Dinh Tu - Director of Tan Ky Electricity Branch said: Before the rainy season, the unit proactively issued a notice to the communes in the district as well as some communes of Do Luong district and the electricity service units in the area to proactively ensure the safety of the power grid; prepare materials and focus on repairing power lines, replacing weak pole positions; assign specific tasks to each production team, conduct inspection of the entire power grid, positions and equipment that do not meet operating standards, from there develop a plan and handle replacement.

Vinh City electricity workers repair the power grid system. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Mr. Tu said that this year, Tan Ky Power Branch will handle 2 violations of the high-voltage grid safety corridor; clear 11 violations of phase-to-ground distance and mobilize people to clear 48 km of trees under low-voltage power lines while gradually upgrading low-voltage lines and transformer stations, thereby contributing to preventing overload and improving the quality of electricity for customers.

In Yen Thanh district, the electricity sector has upgraded 17km of 35kV power lines, handled 33km of 10kV power lines and replaced and upgraded low-voltage power lines for 20 communes; replaced hundreds of new low-voltage power poles, from 5.5m to 6.5 - 7.5m. In Anh Son district, the electricity sector coordinated with the District Youth Union to propagate and clear corridors; increased inspections to detect and promptly prevent risks of incidents such as: forest fires spreading into corridors; tall trees at risk of breaking or falling, violating the safety distance of the power grid corridor...

The process of clearing the power grid corridor, thanks to the coordination between the electricity sector, local authorities and people, has received support and facilitation from local people. Many households have proactively cut down valuable trees and dismantled fences under power lines when the storm season comes.

Mr. Le Thanh Mai - Deputy Head of Safety Department - Nghe An Electricity Company said that the Company pays great attention to ensuring grid safety. Every year, the Company provides funding to units to support the clearance of grid corridors. The Company has also advised the Provincial People's Committee to establish a Grid Safety Committee; localities, districts and communes have also established grid safety committees. These committees are continuously improved and operate effectively.

Cutting down trees to ensure power grid safety in Yen Thanh. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Regarding the high voltage grid, before the rainy and stormy season, Nghe An Electricity Company has proactively proposed solutions to ensure the safety of the power grid corridor such as checking the entire corridor of power lines, trimming tall trees in and near the 110kV high voltage grid corridor, distributing electrical safety leaflets directly to people living near the 110kV grid corridor...

“To ensure the safety of the power grid corridor, the efforts of the electricity industry alone are not enough. In the coming time, Nghe An Electricity Company hopes to receive the consensus of organizations, individuals and the coordination of local authorities to contribute to ensuring the power grid corridor and providing stable electricity to customers,” said Mr. Le Thanh Mai.

Xuan Hoang