Delgaz Grid is the first distribution operator in Romania to adopt and implement LST technology in the execution of works on electricity networks, one of the benefits being the fact that there will be no need to interrupt the power supply of customers, as happens in their execution in the system classical.

The project started in 2018, in 2021 the first instructors for low voltage LST were trained, and this year the training for medium voltage LST is underway.

The instructor training courses have taken place and continue to take place at the distribution company of the E.ON Group in Hungary. Hungarian engineers and electricians have been using LST technology for decades, so they have been able to transfer know-how to Romanian colleagues.

Last week, in the polygon of the Vocational Education Center of Delgaz Grid from Roman, the first series of six electricians started the preparation for the application of LST technology. Instructors are colleagues who have attended training courses at E.ON Hungary and are certified for LST.

LST technology brings a series of indisputable advantages both for customers, for users of the distribution system, and for the staff who ensure the operation and maintenance of the distribution infrastructure.

The great advantage of LST is that a series of works can be executed without interrupting the voltage on the part of the network that intervenes, and customers are not affected by interruptions, as happens in the case of their execution in the classic system.

“We are constantly investing in the modernization and development of the distribution system, in the digitalization of networks and processes, but, at the same time, we are concerned to identify other ways to improve services. Even if it requires more work and more investments in our equipment, through the benefits brought to our clients, the work under tension is worth all the effort,” says Mihaela Cazacu, Deputy General Manager of Delgaz Grid.

Although apparently, it is a risky operation due to the presence of voltage, compliance with labor protection rules and equipment insulation technology leads to the execution of safe work. For Delgaz Grid electricians, the fact that from the very beginning it is known that they work under tension makes compliance with specific rules and measures for work safety inevitable.

This technology is especially suitable for low and medium-voltage overhead power lines, but can also be applied to work on electrical niches and switchboards.

Basically, the parts of the network under voltage and the metal parts that can accidentally reach under voltage near the executor of the work are insulated with the help of certified accessories: electrical insulating sheaths and electrical insulating strips. Subsequently, a limited part is “revealed” where the actual intervention takes place.

Compared to the classical approach, the duration of the work increases, through the time required to carry out isolation measures, but the fact that the supply of customers is not interrupted during the intervention compensate for this inconvenience.

Within the implementation program, the company aims to have by the end of 2024 in all six counties in the area of ​​operations teams for LST both low and medium voltage.