The Ekibastuz–Kokshetau high-voltage line is an

alternating current Alternating current (AC) is an electric current that periodically reverses direction and changes its magnitude continuously with time, in contrast to direct current (DC), which flows only in one direction. Alternating current is the form in w ...

electrical power transmission Electric power transmission is the bulk movement of electrical energy from a generating site, such as a power plant, to an electrical substation. The interconnected lines that facilitate this movement form a ''transmission network''. This is ...

line in

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

from Ekibastuz to

Kokshetau Kokshetau (; , ; rus, Кокшета́у, p=kəkʂɛ'taʊ; ), formerly known as Kokchetav (; ) between 1868 and 1993, is a lakeside city in northern Kazakhstan and the capital of Akmola Region. It stretches along the southern shore of Lak ...

. It was the first commercially used power line in the world which operated at 1,150 kV, the highest transmission line voltage in the world. It is a part of the Itatsk ( Sharypovo)–

Barnaul Barnaul (, ) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative centre of Altai Krai, Russia, located at the confluence of the Barnaulka and Ob (river), Ob rivers in the West Siberian Plain. As of the Russian Censu ...

–Ekibastuz–Kokshetau–

Kostanay Kostanay or Qostanai (, , rus, Костанай, p=kəstɐˈnaj) is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It is the administrative center of the Kostanay Region. As of 24 March 2022, the city's governor is Marat Zhundubay ...

–

Chelyabinsk Chelyabinsk; , is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. It is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, seventh-largest city in Russia, with a population ...

(

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

–Kazakhstan–

Urals The Ural Mountains ( ),; , ; , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range in Eurasia that runs north–south mostly through Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the river Ural (river), Ural and northwestern Kazakhstan.

) transmission system, which was designed to transfer electricity from Siberia and Kazakhstan to industrial regions in the Urals. Designated as power line number 1101, it runs from Ekibastuz to Kokshetau. It is mounted on

transmission tower A transmission tower (also electricity pylon, hydro tower, or pylon) is a tall structure, usually a lattice tower made of steel that is used to support an overhead power line. In electrical grids, transmission towers carry high-voltage transmis ...

s with an average height of . The weight of the conductors between the spans is approximately 50 tons. With a voltage of 1,150 kV, the line had a maximum transfer capacity of 5,500 MW. The whole length of the Siberia–Kazakhstan–Urals line is , of which is located in Kazakhstan and the rest is located in Russia.

History

In 1973, the Soviet Union built a three-phase UHV experimental test circuit over a kilometre long at the Beily Rast substation, near Dmitrov in Moscow region. In 1978, a 270 km UHV test line for industrial use was built from Sharypovo to

Novokuznetsk Novokuznetsk (, , ; )Чиспияков Э. Ф. (1992) ''Учебник шорского языка''. Кемеровское книжное издательство. p. 27. is a city in Kemerovo Oblast (Kuzbass) in southwestern Siberia, Russia ...

. In 1985, this test line became part of the Siberia–Urals line. At the time, no other country had an operational UHV line of this voltage, although several other countries were running experiments. Liu (2014), p. 21 Liu (2015), p. 322 On 24 March 1977, the

Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the Central committee, highest organ of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) between Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Congresses. Elected by the ...

and the

Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union The Council of Ministers of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( rus, Совет министров СССР, r=Sovet Ministrov SSSR, p=sɐˈvʲet mʲɪˈnʲistrəf ˌɛsˌɛsˌɛsˈɛr), sometimes abbreviated as Sovmin or referred to as the ...

took a decision to construct the Ekibastuz–Centre (

Tambov Tambov ( , ; rus, Тамбов, p=tɐmˈbof) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Tambov Oblast, Central Federal District, central Russia, at the confluence of the Tsna River (Moksha basin), Tsna ...

) 1,500 kV

direct current Direct current (DC) is one-directional electric current, flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor (material), conductor such as a wire, but can also flow throug ...

line. This line was put under construction but never finished. In addition, the Ekibastuz–Urals line was planned. Construction of this line started in 1980. The Ekibastuz–Kokshetau line was commissioned at the end of July 1985. The technical design of the line was done by Energosetproekt. The main contractor was Specsetstroy, while contractors for the 1,150 kV substations were Ekibastuzenergostroy and Yuzhuralenergostroy. Equipment for substations was provided by Zaporozhtransformator, Elektrosila, and Uralelektrotyazhmash. In 1988, this 1,150 kV line was extended to Kostanay. By 1990, the whole line from Barnaul to Chelyabinsk was built; however, as 1,150 kV substations were built only in the territory of Kazakhstan, the rest of this system operated at 500 kV. After dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the whole Siberia–Urals transmission system was downgraded to 500 kV. In 1998, the Siberia–Urals line was extended from Barnaul to Itatsk.

Sites

References

Bibliography

* Research Institute of Development Assistance (Japan), ''Regional cooperation in central Asia : focusing on infrastructure development'', The Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund, Japan, Research Papers No. 27, July 1998 . * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ekibastuz-Kokshetau high-voltage line Buildings and structures built in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic Electric power infrastructure in Kazakhstan High-voltage transmission lines Energy in the Soviet Union 1985 establishments in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic