Vetrino–Isaccea–Yuzhnoukrainsk powerline

The Vetrino–Isaccea–Yuzhnoukrainsk powerline is the third 750 kilovolts powerline running from Ukraine to the European Union.

History

Construction of a 750 kV powerline from Ukraine through Romania to Bulgaria was agreed together with construction of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant. The agreement was signed in Moscow in 1982 by the electrical industry ministers of the Soviet Union, Romania and Bulgaria. The powerline started operating in 1986 and it was completed in 1988.^[1]

Route

The powerline starts in Bulgaria at Vetrino (Suvorovo) substation near Varna and runs northward. In Dobrudja it crosses the border between Romania and Bulgaria and terminates at Isaccea substation in Romania. From there the line crosses Danube River, which forms the border between Ukraine and Romania in a 938 metres long span on two 118 metres tall delta pylons situated east of Isaccea and runs than to Yuzhnoukrainsk substation situated just north of South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant.

Hereby it crosses at least four times the border between Moldova and Ukraine. However, there is and was no branch to the power grid in Moldova, although it passes Vulcăneşti substation.

Description

The used towers are designed for carrying a single circuit in a single level. As conductors bundle conductors of 4 ropes are used. Nearly all suspension towers are poertal pylons, most of them guyed, but also several free-standing. The free-standing portal pylons carry the conductor in the middle on a V-shaped insulator, while the outmost conductors are as at the guyed suspension towers carried by a normal suspension insulator. As strainers triple towers are used whereby a fourth tower is required for strainers without or with less direction change for keeping the required distance of the outmost conductor to the tower. Also transposing towers are implemented as monopolar towers whereby two additional towers are required.

Current state

The section between Vetrino and Isaccea is since the synchronisation of the Romanian power grid with that of Western Europe, which took after 6 years of trial operation finally take place in 2003 , operated with 400 kV. The section between Isaccea and Yuzhnoukrainsk is since the synchronisation of the Romanian power grid with that of Western Europe not in use and scrapped in most parts.

According to Google Maps the line ends actually short after Danube Crossing on a strainer. In the further section the conductors are except few exceptions missings and even some towers are demolished. As more one follows the line northward, the number of missing pylons increases and north of 46°33′7.6″N 29°38′20.9″E / 46.552111°N 29.639139°E / 46.552111; 29.639139 (Southern visible end of line) it is impossible to follow the relicts of the line on Google Maps, as no visible traces are left.

The first section starting from Yuzhnoukrainsk substation until a point situated at 47°46′37.08″N 31°11′13.31″E / 47.7769667°N 31.1870306°E / 47.7769667; 31.1870306 (Northern End of conductors) is still existing with pylons carrying conductors, then there are some further pylons without conductors until a strainer at 47°45′47.6″N 31°8′12.94″E / 47.763222°N 31.1369278°E / 47.763222; 31.1369278 (Northern visible end of line) after which there are no visible traces of the line on Google Maps.

However, there are still some further pylons mostly strainers, but also suspension towers in the area between the Northern and Southern visible end of the powerline, but it is not possible to track it on Google Maps.

Between Krasnoye and Kuchurhan just before the last crossing of border between Moldova and Ukraine, there is still a section of the line with conductors.

Sites

Waypoints Vetrino-Isaccea

Waypoints Isaccea–Yuzhnoukrainsk

See also

• Albertirsa–Zakhidnoukrainska–Vinnytsia powerline
• Rzeszów–Khmelnytskyi powerline

External links

• Picture of demolished pylon
• http://web.archive.org/web/20071119014744/http://www.eco.md:80/article/4337/
• http://www.panoramio.com/photo/55787410

References