For the first time a joint meeting of the supreme governing bodies of CIGRE was held in Russia

On October 7 and 8, a joint meeting of the Steering Committee and the Technical Council of the International Council for Large High Voltage Electric Systems — CIGRE was held in St. Petersburg.

Conseil International des Grands Réseaux Électriques (CIGRE) is the largest international non-profit Association for promoting collaboration with experts from all around the world by sharing knowledge and joining forces to improve electric power systems.

Founded in 1921 in France and headquartered in Paris CIGRE is one of the most authoritative and significant international associations which unites scientists and power engineers from all over the world and makes significant impact on the strategy of the electricity industry in many countries.

The mission of CIGRE as pertains to ts Charter is to coordinate research, scientific knowledge and practical experience sharing on issues of power networks operation. The issues of design, creation and operation of high-voltage equipment, grids planning and operation, implementation of new technologies for data mining and processing and control systems are in the spotlight.

CIGRE activities shape the strategic vision of the power network development needed for selection of energy policy and are closely tied with the vector of scientific and technical progress that defines key directions of integration processes.

Biannual session is a central event in the activity of the CIGRE. The key task of the session is technical knowledge and information sharing between engineering community, scientists and technical specialists of all countries in regard to high-voltage power generation and transmission.

The meeting was chaired by CIGRE President Rob Stephen and Chairman of the Russian National Committee of CIGRE (RNC CIGRE), Head of Rosseti FGC UES (PJSC FGC UES) Andrei Murov.

The meeting was attended by Chief Executive Officer of Zavod Izolyator LLC, CIGRE Study Committee D1 Regular Member, Head of CIGRE National Study Committee D1, Dr. Alexander Slavinsky.

Participants of the meeting of the Steering Committee and the Technical Council of the International Council for CIGRE, St. Petersburg

The strategic issues of managing the organization as well as global trends in the development of the industry were discussed.

One of the key topics was preparations for the 48th CIGRE Session to be held in Paris in 2020. Within the framework of the thematic block ‘Russia Day’, an overview of the energy system of the Russian Federation will be presented. Representatives of the Rosseti Group of Companies, JSC System Operator of the Unified Energy System, FGC UES Scientific and Technical Center and equipment manufacturers are involved in these events.

‘For almost a hundred years, CIGRE has been coordinating world experts’ efforts in forecasting and making the main trends in the development of energy systems. Russia, and earlier the USSR, began cooperation with CIGRE almost immediately after the creation of the association. Our cooperation has always been given attention at the highest level’, — Andrei Murov noted in his welcome speech.

The meeting participants visited the 330 kV Vasileostrovskaya substation, which is a part of the St. Petersburg energy ring. The facility is equipped with the latest power and switching equipment, including gas-insulated switchgears 330 and 110 kV. In 2017, Vasileostrovskaya became one of the first substations of the Unified Energy System of Russia transferred to remote control.

Domestic experts have been participating in the activities of the association since 1923. Since 1957, the CIGRE National Committee has been working. He currently ranks first in Europe and fifth in the world in terms of the involvement of market participants in the work of the association.