Andrey Murov: The Beneficiary of Innovations Is Consumer

october 1, 2019

Andrey Murov, Chairman of the Management Board of FGC UES and Chairman of the Russian NC of CIGRE, spoke about the participation of Russian power engineers in international scientific and technical cooperation:

Andrey, a session titled "Trajectory of energy systems development: a global view" supported by CIGRE will soon take place as part of the Russian Energy Week. Why has this topic been chosen?

In the Russian energy sector, we live mainly with five-year cycles of investment programs, RAB-regulation, and long-term development programs. This is the basis, but it is important for strategic planning to look beyond this horizon. Technologies or economic processes that seem sustainable to us can become obsolete two steps later. This is one of the critical, if not the most important, topics for the entire professional community.

CIGRE is the oldest and perhaps the most respected expert association in the sector. It was created almost a hundred years ago and today unites scientists and specialists from 98 countries, making a significant impact on the scientific and technical agenda of the world energy industry. Therefore, the session with the participation of CIGRE leaders naturally covers the global agenda.

What are the key matters in the session's agenda?

Any industry-related discussion, widely speaking, has its own mainstream: 3-5 "fashionable" topics, around which everyone builds an image of the future. But some of them die even before becoming a long-term trend, others are of local value, third ones contradict with each other.

The main question of the session is what trends will determine the development of power systems in the horizon of 10, even 15 years. That's what you really need to invest in. For example, development of RES, distributed generation and the appearance of so-called prosumers (producers-consumers. – Ed. note) in the network significantly complicates dispatching, mode control and, in general, power system management. At the same time, the profound introduction of digital technologies on the consumer side dictates the demand for reliable power supply. Which of the trends will win? Or if there will be a compromise, then which one?

What is the value of the experience of foreign experts taking part in the session?

First, they are specialists with profound personal expertise. Second, look at the geography of the countries they come from and where they work. Third, and most important: each of the foreign guests has access to a large intercountry base for generalizations. Philippe Adam and Marcio Szechtman have leadership roles in CIGRE: they see how the topics of research and discussions with the members of the association are changing. Adam Middleton participates in the REW as a representative of the UK, but at the same time holds a leading position in the Siemens Gas&Power division. Saulius Adomaitis is the head of EY's energy practice in the Middle East, Africa and India and has been involved in both conventional and nuclear power development projects in various regions.

What are your hopes for the upcoming event?

First of all, to show the range of opinions and arguments on the cornerstone issues for the industry. Compare it with the mainstream we see in discussions in the Russian professional community. Find ideas and relevant examples that can be useful for the audience, and for us as well, at the Federal Grid Company.

Of course, we will not have enough time for a real brainstorming session, but I hope that we will be able to reach a consensus forecast on the most common features of the future energy systems.

In general, this is the quintessence of all the activities of RNC CIGRE: to expand expert interaction, to take into account foreign experience in the development of solutions, to integrate the accumulated international expertise in our own research, development programs, and talent training.

You have been the head of RNC CIGRE since 2015. What are the committee's main tasks in the context of development of the grid and the Russian power industry as a whole?

The period of my chairmanship should not be separated from the work carried out by Boris Ayuev and our predecessors. The aim is one: to ensure high interaction of the Russian and international expert communities for the harmonious development of our power system, taking into account the established technological trends. And Federal Grid Company has always been an active contributor.

An important task of the national committee is to strengthen the position of domestic science and industry on foreign platforms through the mechanisms of scientific and technical exchange. The Russian showroom at the technical exhibition within the framework of the CIGRE Sessions in Paris attracts more and more attention. Last year it presented developments in the field of digitalization, emergency control automation, cybersecurity, superconductivity and energy efficiency.

Russia's role in CIGRE is growing: today our country ranks first in Europe and fifth in the world in terms of involvement of market players in the association's work. In which areas are Russian experts involved?

Since the Soviet era, we have representation in all 16 study committees of CIGRE. Russian experts participate in 62 international working groups. Moreover, in recent years, five new working groups have been established under the leadership of our specialists: in the areas of B5 "Relay protection and controls", C1 "Power systems development planning and economics" and D2 "Information systems and telecommunications".

With its high membership rating, Russia keeps its representation with the association's main administrative body, the Steering Committee. After the successful colloquium of D2 Study Committee in Moscow in 2017, Olga Sinenko (head of RTSoft. – Ed. note) was invited to head it at the international level, thus ensuring Russia's representation in the Technical Committee of CIGRE.

In April, at the RNC CIGRE reporting conference, you noted the need for maximum openness within the framework of international scientific and technical exchange. What significance does this work have for the growth of competitiveness of the Russian power industry?

The ongoing changes in economy, science and engineering are so fast that it becomes impossible to effectively exist apart from the global context. One key benefit of participation in the work of CIGRE is the access of Russian specialists to international expertise, as well as the mechanisms of formation of the industry regulatory framework. By intensifying scientific and technical cooperation, we not only increase the efficiency and reliability of the domestic energy sector, but also open up new opportunities for international cooperation. For example, the covenants signed on the margins of the 47th CIGRE Session to transfer innovative technologies from Russia to India and Portugal and implement joint projects with representatives from the USA and the Netherlands.

An important focus area is the development of uniform standards applicable to products, processes and services. Their absence today complicates the implementation of bilateral projects and the access to foreign markets. Within the framework of the 47th CIGRE Session, the R&D Center of FGC UES and Shenyang Transformer Research Institute (STRI Guan Qinggang) signed a cooperation agreement in the field of product conformity assessment to IEC and other regulatory documents.

Federal Grid Company is called one of the leaders in implementing innovative solutions, primarily of Russian origin. Tell us about the work you are conducting.

For more than 10 years, our company has been implementing digital solutions according to the international standard IEC 61850, and more than 200 utilities have been partially digitalized. By 2025, we plan to introduce remote control at more than 100 UNPG substations and implement a set of digital technologies at more than 30 sites.

We not simply try to use products of Russian origin in such projects, but also participate in the creation of new digital solutions. For instance, this year at the 220 kV Borskaya substation in Nizhny Novgorod we have put into trial operation an optical voltage transformer developed with the participation of FGC UES.

By 2025, we plan to reach 100% deployment in a number of areas related to digitalization. This applies to the coverage of the UNPG with high-speed digital communication and remote observability. And in some areas we have already fulfilled the task: for example, automatic electricity metering has been implemented at all UNPG facilities. Therefore, our tasks in this area now include higher accuracy, quality measurement, data analysis for planning, day-to-day operation and load efficiency.

The innovative development program also includes the "Energy-Efficient Substation" project. It involves implementation of innovative technical solutions, which will reduce the captive electricity consumption by up to 50%.

Or the project to build a high-temperature superconducting cable line (HTSC). Grid-wise, the introduction of HTSC lines allows transferring high power at low voltage with minimized losses. This technology is effective for construction of loop schemes and power bridges and for the power output of the large generation. Last year, we completed life-testing of the world's largest HTSC line, which is 2.5 km long. It is planned to put the prototype into operation in the power system of Saint Petersburg.

What significance does this work have for the company's objectives?

Innovative projects are being implemented within the framework of the current plans of upgrade and construction of UNPG facilities. The main objectives are to improve the reliability of power supply and the availability of power grid infrastructure, to increase the efficiency of the company's operations, and to adapt to new challenges. But in the end, the beneficiary of these innovations is the consumer, who will receive a better service.